Abattoir Ghoul

Creature — Zombie 3/2, 3B (4)

First strike

Whenever a creature dealt damage by Abattoir Ghoul this turn dies, you gain life equal to that creature's toughness.

Death took his humanity but not his skill with the knife.

Illus. Volkan Baga

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 9/22/2011: You'll gain life equal to the creature's last known toughness before it died. For example, if Abattoir Ghoul deals 3 first-strike damage to a 7/7 creature and then you give the creature -5/-5 before the regular combat damage step, you'll gain 2 life.

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Abbey Griffin

Creature — Griffin 2/2, 3W (4)

Flying, vigilance

"The darkness crawls with vampires and ghouls, but we are not without allies."
—Mikaeus, the Lunarch

Illus. Jaime Jones

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Abrupt Decay

Instant, BG (2)

Abrupt Decay can't be countered by spells or abilities.

Destroy target nonland permanent with converted mana cost 3 or less.

The Izzet quickly suspended their policy of lifetime guarantees.

Illus. Svetlin Velinov

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 10/1/2012: The converted mana cost of a creature token is 0, unless that token is a copy of another creature, in which case it copies that creature’s mana cost.
• 10/1/2012: If the permanent has {X} in its mana cost, X is 0.

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Abundant Growth

Enchantment — Aura, G (1)

Enchant land

When Abundant Growth enters the battlefield, draw a card.

Enchanted land has "{T}: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool."

Illus. Vincent Proce

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 5/1/2012: The land retains any other abilities it has.

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Acidic Slime

Creature — Ooze 2/2, 3GG (5)

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.

Illus. Karl Kopinski

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Act of Treason

Sorcery, 2R (3)

Gain control of target creature until end of turn. Untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn.

Each day uncertainty and rumors spread, and each night attendance at the Juri Revue increases.

Illus. Matt Stewart

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 10/1/2009: Act of Treason can target any creature, even one that's untapped or one you already control.
• 8/15/2010: Gaining control of a creature doesn't cause you to gain control of any Auras or Equipment attached to it.

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Adaptive Snapjaw

Creature — Lizard Beast 6/2, 4G (5)

Evolve (Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, if that creature has greater power or toughness than this creature, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.)

"Eh, needs more toad."
—Gulistan, Simic biomancer

Illus. Tomasz Jedruszek

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 4/15/2013: When comparing the stats of the two creatures for evolve, you always compare power to power and toughness to toughness.
• 4/15/2013: Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, check its power and toughness against the power and toughness of the creature with evolve. If neither stat of the new creature is greater, evolve won't trigger at all.
• 4/15/2013: If evolve triggers, the stat comparison will happen again when the ability tries to resolve. If neither stat of the new creature is greater, the ability will do nothing. If the creature that entered the battlefield leaves the battlefield before evolve tries to resolve, use its last known power and toughness to compare the stats.
• 4/15/2013: If a creature enters the battlefield with +1/+1 counters on it, consider those counters when determining if evolve will trigger. For example, a 1/1 creature that enters the battlefield with two +1/+1 counters on it will cause the evolve ability of a 2/2 creature to trigger.
• 4/15/2013: If multiple creatures enter the battlefield at the same time, evolve may trigger multiple times, although the stat comparison will take place each time one of those abilities tries to resolve. For example, if you control a 2/2 creature with evolve and two 3/3 creatures enter the battlefield, evolve will trigger twice. The first ability will resolve and put a +1/+1 counter on the creature with evolve. When the second ability tries to resolve, neither the power nor the toughness of the new creature is greater than that of the creature with evolve, so that ability does nothing.
• 4/15/2013: When comparing the stats as the evolve ability resolves, it's possible that the stat that's greater changes from power to toughness or vice versa. If this happens, the ability will still resolve and you'll put a +1/+1 counter on the creature with evolve. For example, if you control a 2/2 creature with evolve and a 1/3 creature enters the battlefield under your control, it toughness is greater so evolve will trigger. In response, the 1/3 creature gets +2/-2. When the evolve trigger tries to resolve, its power is greater. You'll put a +1/+1 counter on the creature with evolve.

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Advent of the Wurm

Instant, 1WGG (4)

Put a 5/5 green Wurm creature token with trample onto the battlefield.

The consciousness of Mat'Selesnya does not always spread in peaceful ways.

Illus. Lucas Graciano

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Aerial Maneuver

Instant, 1W (2)

Target creature gets +1/+1 and gains flying and first strike until end of turn.

"When you put all of yourself into an attack, without fear or hesitation, in that instant you may attain greatness."
—Predak, Gateless freemage

Illus. Scott Chou

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Aerial Predation

Instant, 2G (3)

Destroy target creature with flying. You gain 2 life.

In the towering trees of the Samok Stand and the predators that guard them, the might of the Ravnican wild has returned.

Illus. BD

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 10/1/2012: You must be able to target a creature with flying to cast Aerial Predation.
• 10/1/2012: If the creature with flying is an illegal target when Aerial Predation tries to resolve, it will be countered and none of its effects will happen. You won’t gain 2 life.

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Ætherize

Instant, 3U (4)

Return all attacking creatures to their owner's hand.

"You can come back once you've learned some manners—and figured out how to reconstitute your physical forms."

Illus. Ryan Barger

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 1/24/2013: An “attacking creature” is one that has been declared as an attacker this combat, or one that was put onto the battlefield attacking this combat. Unless that creature leaves combat, it continues to be an attacking creature through the end of combat step, even if the player it was attacking has left the game, or the planeswalker it was attacking has left combat. There’s no such thing as an attacking creature outside of the combat phase.

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Ætherling

Creature — Shapeshifter 4/5, 4UU (6)

{U}: Exile Ætherling. Return it to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of the next end step.

{U}: Ætherling is unblockable this turn.

{1}: Ætherling gets +1/-1 until end of turn.

{1}: Ætherling gets -1/+1 until end of turn.

Illus. Tyler Jacobson

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 4/15/2013: Ætherling’s first ability will return it to the battlefield only if that ability also exiled it. If Ætherling left the battlefield in response to that ability, it won’t return, even if it was exiled by another spell or ability.
• 4/15/2013: Ætherling’s last ability can be activated even if its power is 0 or less. If a creature would assign 0 or less damage in combat, it doesn’t assign combat damage at all.

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Afflicted Deserter

Creature — Human Werewolf 3/2, 3R (4)

At the beginning of each upkeep, if no spells were cast last turn, transform Afflicted Deserter.

The rising of the first full moon eliminated any doubt as to the horrible truth lurking within.

Illus. David Palumbo

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 1/22/2011: You choose the target artifact when Werewolf Ransacker's first triggered ability goes on the stack. You choose whether or not to destroy the artifact when that ability resolves.
• 1/22/2011: If the targeted artifact is indestructible or regenerates (or you choose not to destroy it), Werewolf Ransacker doesn't deal damage to that artifact's controller. Similarly, if the targeted artifact is destroyed but a replacement effect moves it to a different zone instead of its owner's graveyard, Werewolf Ransacker doesn't deal damage to that artifact's controller.
• 1/22/2011: An artifact token that's destroyed is put into its owner's graveyard before it ceases to exist. If a token is destroyed by Werewolf Ransacker ability, Werewolf Ransacker deals damage to that token's controller.
• 1/22/2011: If something becomes a copy of Werewolf Ransacker, that doesn't count as "transforming into Werewolf Ransacker." The first triggered ability of the new Werewolf Ransacker doesn't trigger.

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Aggravate

Instant, 3RR (5)

Aggravate deals 1 damage to each creature target player controls. Each creature dealt damage this way attacks this turn if able.

"Barbarians! They burned my favorite chair! We'll kill them all!"
—Anje Falkenrath

Illus. Matt Stewart

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 5/1/2012: Aggravate targets only the player. Creatures with hexproof that player controls will be dealt damage by Aggravate if it resolves.
• 5/1/2012: The controller of a creature dealt damage by Aggravate still decides which player or planeswalker the creature attacks.
• 5/1/2012: If, during a player's declare attackers step, a creature is tapped, is affected by a spell or ability that says it can't attack, or hasn't been under that player's control continuously since the turn began (and doesn't have haste), then it doesn't attack. If there's a cost associated with having a creature attack, the player isn't forced to pay that cost, so it doesn't have to attack in that case either.

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Agoraphobia

Enchantment — Aura, 1U (2)

Enchant creature

Enchanted creature gets -5/-0.

{2}{U}: Return Agoraphobia to its owner's hand.

"Everyone in this city is choosing sides. I choose inside."

Illus. Jim Murray

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 1/24/2013: Only Agoraphobia’s controller can activate its last ability, no matter who controls the creature Agoraphobia’s attached to.
• 1/24/2013: Agoraphobia’s last ability can be activated only while it’s on the battlefield.
• 1/24/2013: Players don’t have priority to cast spells and activate abilities between combat damage being assigned and being dealt. This means that if you want to return Agoraphobia to its owner’s hand before combat damage is dealt, you must do so before combat damage is assigned (and the creature will no longer get -5/-0).

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Ajani's Sunstriker

Creature — Cat Cleric 2/2, WW (2)

Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)

"Ajani goes where he is needed most and in his name we keep his lands safe."

Illus. Matt Stewart

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Ajani, Caller of the Pride

Planeswalker — Ajani (Loyalty: 4), 1WW (3)

+1: Put a +1/+1 counter on up to one target creature.

-3: Target creature gains flying and double strike until end of turn.

-8: Put X 2/2 white Cat creature tokens onto the battlefield, where X is your life total.

Illus. D. Alexander Gregory

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 7/1/2012: You can activate the first ability without a target. You'll still put one loyalty counter on Ajani when you activate the ability.
• 7/1/2012: The number of Cat tokens you put onto the battlefield is equal to your life total when the third ability resolves.

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Akroma's Memorial

Legendary Artifact, 7 (7)

Creatures you control have flying, first strike, vigilance, trample, haste, and protection from black and from red.

"No rest. No mercy. No matter what."
—Memorial inscription

Illus. Dan Scott

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Alchemist's Apprentice

Creature — Human Wizard 1/1, 1U (2)

Sacrifice Alchemist's Apprentice: Draw a card.

Side effects may include foul odors, scalding steam, and spontaneous nonexistence.

Illus. David Palumbo

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Alchemist's Refuge

Land

{T}: Add {1} to your mana pool.

{G}{U}, {T}: You may cast nonland cards this turn as though they had flash.

Persecuted alchemists fled deep into Kessig's wilds, seeking solitude to continue their ghoulish craft.

Illus. Dan Scott

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 5/1/2012: You can cast a nonland card with flash any time you could cast an instant.
• 5/1/2012: The last ability applies to nonland cards in any zone, provided something is allowing you to cast them. For example, you could cast a sorcery with flashback as though it had flash.

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Standard (Type 2)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern