History MagicTheGathering / GameplayTropes

Return to the main page [[TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering here]].

This page is for tropes that apply to ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering''[='s=] gameplay and mechanics. Tropes which apply to the flavor and story should be placed here: MagicTheGathering/FlavorAndStoryTropes. (Some tropes may warrant placement on both, but please be judicious.)

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[[folder:A to K]]
* AbnormalAmmo:
** Many cards imply the shooting or throwing of odd ammunition, including [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=233197 Acorns]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?name=Goblin%20Bombardment Goblins]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=184667 Skulls]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=45387 more Goblins]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=29755 Chains]], [[https://www.mtgvault.com/card/siege-gang-commander/M10/ Goblin Tokens]]... Naturally, this is especially common among Goblins.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?name=FLING Fling]] allows you to turn any creature into ammo.
** It isn't clear exactly ''what'' [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=19680 Catapult Master]] fires, but it has to be something more than a big rock. Not even ''[[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=429866 Wrath of God]]'' destroys creatures [[DeaderThanDead as thoroughly]] as he does.
* AbstractEater: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3635 Chronatog]] eats ''time''. In gameplay terms, that means beefing it up by skipping your next turn.
* AbsurdlyHighStakesGame: Early versions of the game with the Ante rule in effect. One of the most common "house rules" in the early game was to play without ante because players didn't want to risk losing cards. Wizards quickly dropped the rule both to avert this, as well as to avoid the game being classified as gambling.
* ActionBomb: Blowing oneself up is a favorite tactic of red cards, particularly among goblins. Examples include but are not limited to [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=271222 Mudbutton Torchrunner]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4980 Mogg Bombers]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=87971 War-Torch Goblin]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=208008 Ember Hauler]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=157923 Ib Halfheart, Goblin Tactician's]] suicide troops, and whichever schmuck ends up carrying the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220435 Goblin Grenade]].
* ActionInitiative:
** Combat damage between creatures normally occurs simultaneously. Some creatures have an ability called First Strike, which means that their damage happens before the other one can retaliate- if the first strike damage is fatal, the victim doesn't get to deal any damage.
** There's also the basic 'speeds' of the game. Sorcery and permanent spells can only be cast on one's own turn, during one of the two main phases, while instant spells can be cast and abilities activated at any time, including in response to other spells and abilities—in which case, the last to be played resolves first (resolutions are determined by a zone called the Stack). There are also two special exceptions that exist for purposes of gameplay: lands can be played at sorcery speed, but the land will enter the battlefield before anyone has a chance to respond to this action, and activating mana abilities can be done at any time. Neither of these special actions use the Stack. Finally, there is a special ability called Split Second which means that although they do use the stack, no activated abilities can be activated or spells cast while they are there (triggered abilities still trigger, though).
* ActualPacifist:
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=190574 Pacifism]] forces this onto a target creature.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193869 Faith's Fetters]] can force this onto any permanent, preventing creatures from attacking or blocking while also stopping abilities.
* ActuallyFourMooks: The Amass ability while, simply put, creates a Zombie Army Token and gives it a +1/+1 counter - or put a +1/+1 counter on an already-present Zombie Army Token. These tokens imply the growth of the Zombie Army, despite only being one "creature".
* AdaptiveAbility:
** Creatures with the "Evolve" keyword gain a +1/+1 counter whenever their controller plays a creature that has higher power and/or toughness. In other words, it grows bigger in response to a bigger creature arriving.
** A trait of the Sliver race, who then share these adaptations with any other Slivers in play, allowing them to negate threats quickly. However, as a drawback, this also includes Slivers under your opponent's control...
* AfterCombatRecovery: At the end of each turn, every surviving creature has all standard damage removed from it. Certain abilities, such as Poison, bypass this with the damage staying (and sometimes getting even worse).
* AirborneAircraftCarrier: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Parhelion%20II Parhelion II]] is an artifact vehicle with flying which spawns two 4/4 Angel tokens (also with flying) when it attacks.
* AirborneMook: Small creatures with the Flying ability often provide difficulties for opponents who use mostly "ground" creatures. They cannot be blocked unless the blocker has Flying or Reach abilities, but most can still block the "ground" creatures from attacking their owner. Small fliers are usually depicted as birds (typically green or white) or bats (typically black or red).
* AllThereInTheManual: The Gatherer Web site includes all rulings on cards. As the game goes on and rules get refined, the company almost constantly changes the way game abilities are printed on cards:
** Every set introduces new rules terms and long-standing parts of the game may have their names or the related rules changed if necessary. The concept of the "exile" zone, for example, has been in the game since the very first set, but did not receive its current name until 2009. (Exiling cards is a way of removing them from play that's more final than most methods. It used to be called "removed from the game" but was renamed for flavor purposes.)
** The general rule is to rely on the most recent printed text of a card to determine what it does, even if someone is playing with an older copy on which its abilities are phrased differently. Without that rule, for example, casting [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3842 three versions]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=14593 of exactly]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=107278 the same card]] with an ability summed up as "only this card and copies of it can attack" would mean ''none of them'' could actually attack.[[note]]This is because the first card prevents every creature type except for Evil Eyes from attacking. The second is a Horror, not an Evil Eye, so it can't attack. It says only cards called Evil Eye of Orms-By-Gore can attack (though it could potentially be read as saying only ''it'' can attack). The first card ''is'' called Evil Eye of Orms-By-Gore, so it can still attack. But wait! The third card says only "Eyes" can attack. The first isn't an Eye, it's an ''Evil'' Eye, and the third isn't an Evil Eye, it's an Eye. Therefore, ''none'' of the three can now attack.[[/note]]
** Subverted by the [[LethalJokeCharacter joke card]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=73967 R&D's Secret Lair]], which explicitly bans using later printed text, errata, or the rules to 'update' cards. It's, naturally, illegal in all competitive play, and rapidly makes friendly games very unfriendly.
* AllTrollsAreDifferent: A common, typically-green creature who usually have Hexproof, Regenerating, or both as abilities. Naturally, these abilities make them challenging to destroy.
* AllYourColorsCombined:
** Several cards unleash massive power IF you are able to get (at least) one of each mana color into play. Examples include [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=109718 Coalition Victory]], which results in an automatic victory; [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=135242 Legacy Weapon]], which removes one permanent from the game; [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=288992 Door to Nothingness]], which causes your opponent to automatically lose the game; and [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370405 Progenitus]], a 10/10 legendary creature with protection from everything. Naturally, these cards all qualify as AwesomeButImpractical.
** Sunburst is a keyword ability on artifacts and artifact creatures which allows them to enter play with a number of charge counters or +1/+1 counters (respectively) for each type of mana used to cast the spell.
* AllYourPowersCombined:
** A number of cards, such as [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=107385 Experiment Kraj]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=140171 Cairn Wanderer]], can take on the abilities of other cards on the battlefield or in the graveyard, respectively.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=89109 Concerted Effort]] allows all of your creatures to combine their powers with each other. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=409770 Odric, Lunarch Marshal]] later came around as a more modern version of it.
** The Un-set card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=439525 Urza, Academy Headmaster]] takes this UpToEleven — the website listed on the card randomly selects an ability from ''any other planeswalker in the game'' when you activate one of Urza's abilities.
** Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God copies the loyalty abilities from every other planeswalker on the field, on top of having a list of his own.
* AlphaStrike: The trope name is used as shorthand for attacking with every creature you have. This doubles as a DeathOrGloryAttack since you won't have any creatures left to defend yourself if your attack fails to take down your opponent.
* AlwaysABiggerFish: [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Reef+Worm Reef Worm]] is just a 0/1 creature, but when it dies, it creates a 3/3 Fish token. When the Fish dies, it creates a 6/6 Whale token. When the Whale dies, it creates a 9/9 Kraken token.[[note]]The flavor is that the worm gets eaten by the fish, who gets eaten by the whale, who gets eaten by the kraken.[[/note]]
* AnimalBattleAura: The "Umbra" enchantment auras, for example [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=451086 Bear]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193635 Drake]], and [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=456620 Mammoth]]. These allow you to give any creature such an aura, as well as impart some of the abilities of the aura's shape, along with a one-time protection from destruction.
* AnimalStampede: A specialty of the [[https://scryfall.com/search?q=t%3Aaurochs&unique=cards&as=grid&order=name Auroch]] creature type. They not only have Trample, but also either gain bonuses for each attacking Auroch or have abilities which allow you to find/easily play more Aurochs. (Or sometimes both.)
* AnimatedArmor: [[http://magiccards.info/avr/en/216.html Haunted Guardian]] is a creature that's an empty suit of armor. [[http://magiccards.info/m14/en/212.html Haunted Plate Mail]] goes a step further and can actually be worn by your creatures, only getting up to fight when nobody is looking.
* AnimateDead: A common black effect, present in many cards and abilities but most purely encapsulated in the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159249 eponymous card]]. Typically, the effect brings a creature back from the graveyard, but with a drawback, such as reduced power/toughness or only for a finite time.
* AnimateInanimateObject: [[http://magiccards.info/arc/en/6.html March of the Machines]], as well as other cards like [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=19573 Karn's Touch]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=217826 Tezzeret the Seeker]].
* AnimatingArtifact: The ability of [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=karn%2C+silver+golem Karn, Silver Golem]]. It turns artifacts into artifact creatures with power/toughness equal to the artifact's converted mana cost. This can lead to some unusual results, such as turning a [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=253710 Trading Post]] or [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=209044 Mindslaver]] into creatures as powerful as angels or dragons. It also isn't limited to your own artifacts, either, meaning you can use it to neutralize your opponent's artifacts for a turn.
* AntiAir: Typically, creatures with the "Flying" ability can only be blocked by others with Flying. However, creatures with the "Reach" ability are able to do so as well. This, along with spells and enchantments which are particularly effective against creatures with Flying, is a staple of green mana. Several examples: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=135186 Femeref Archers]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=179543 Deadshot Minotaur]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=253675 Plummet]], and so on.
* AntiFrustrationFeatures:
** Mechanics that prove too annoying or too complex to explain or track are simply not reprinted or printed on new cards, removing them from most formats. Banding is a famous one which got this treatment.
** +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters nullify each other entirely, so a creature that has had three +1/+1 counters and one -1/-1 counter placed on it has two +1/+1 counters on it rather than four counters total. While there are a handful of cards that would care about such things, keeping track of multiple types of counters on a single creature is enough of a hassle that it's not worth doing so for the two most common counter types that simply negate each other's effects, just for such cases.
** Some old cards care about the order, not simply the contents, of a player's graveyard. Figuring out what order things that should enter can be irritating, and players might like to be able to e.g. put a card with flashback on top to remind themselves they could play it. Consequently players are given the ability to rearrange their graveyards at will in any format these cards aren't legal, since there's no way the order can be relevant (and in casual play the rule is normally ignored anyway, because the cards that make it matter are rare, unpopular, and not even very good).
** Playing lands and producing mana are both defined as "Special Actions" which operate outside of the normal timing rules, so that they are impossible to interact with. This prevents players from disrupting them and slowing down the game. Additionally, the ability to destroy lands has been slowly but heavily {{nerf}}ed, to the point where the only formats where land destruction cards are made also include other ways to obtain mana. Land destruction is still a viable strategy with a deck, it's just much less frustrating than it used to be.
* AntiMagic: Protection, various forms of untargetability (such as the Shroud and Hexproof mechanics), and counterspell and anti-counterspell effects often work this way.
* AntiRegeneration: Regenerate is an effect which acts as a SingleUseShield for a creature, allowing it to survive (though become tapped) when it receives damage that would normally destroy it. Numerous spells and creature effects exist which specifically state that the creature "cannot be regenerated" including, for example, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=134739 Big Game Hunter]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=106636 Disintegrate]], and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=83079 Execute]]. Cards with this effect typically represent methods of death that the target [[TheresNoKillLikeOverkill would not logically be able to recover from]].
* AntidoteEffect: Common for card combos which, if you drew them within the same turn or otherwise close together, could be extremely powerful. However, the odds are so low that it's generally better to swap them out for cards which can individually be more impactful.
* ApeShallNeverKillApe:
** Common in black spells which can instantly destroy creatures, but only if they aren't black themselves (or are artifacts). Considering Black's domain is death magic, it makes sense that black spells don't work on creatures that aren't living to begin with.
** Also featured in white spells, which fit the spirit of the trope more directly in their reasoning for not being able to target white creatures.
* AppendageAssimilation: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159730 Goblin Chirurgeon]] can sacrifice a goblin in order to regenerate a creature, the implication being that the sacrificed goblin is being used for...parts.
* ArbitraryHeadcountLimit:
** The limit of four non-basic land cards per deck. This limit was created after some early tournaments were dominated by players using nothing but the same three cards in mass quantities (20 Black Lotus, 20 Channel, and 20 Fireball) as a reasonable compromise between flexibility and cheese.
** Players may only have one copy of a "Legendary" permanent on the battlefield under their control at one time. For quite a few sets, the rule instead stated that playing a second copy of that legendary permanent meant that both would be destroyed. This made [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370622 Clone]] a relatively cheap and effective defense against legendary creatures, since if your opponent played one, you could simply Clone it to destroy it. Thus, the current rule was an updated compromise.
* ArmoredButFrail: Mechanics like Regenerate (now deprecated) and keywords like Totem Armor are in this vein if they are applied to creatures with 1 life. These creatures would typically be destroyed by an attack from ''anything'', even the [[CherryTapping cherriest of taps]], but these abilities allow them to survive a hit from almost anything, even the game's ultra powerful {{Eldritch Abomination}}s.
* ArmorOfInvincibility: Artifact equipment such as [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=213749 Darksteel Plate]] and the legendary [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=48582 Shield of Kaldra]] make the wearer indestrucable.
* ArmorPiercingAttack: Creatures with the "Trample" ability will deal any unblocked damage to the opposing player. (Normally, any excess damage is wasted if a creature is blocked.) There are also several creatures and spells which can attack opponents directly, regardless of if he has any creatures to block.
* ArmyOfTheAges: The basic premise of the game, with you as the summoner.
* ArtEvolution:
** The art for the cards has evolved over the years due to both a preference for more detailed, elaborate art, and much more meticulous guidance given to the artists. For example, when the company commissioned the art for the card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=70 Lord of the Pit]], they reportedly gave the artist a one-word instruction: "balrog". (This was years before ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' movies were made.) Under the circumstances, it came out pretty well, but today artists get multi-paragraph descriptions of what the image on the card should look like, generally designed taking into account both exactly what the card itself does and the flavor and description of the world of the current set. Nowadays comprehensive style guides and concept art are made for each set, or consecutive block of set that share the same setting: for example, the goblins of the ''Scars of Mirrodin'' block have a large round head with a sharp snout and long pointed ears.
** The cards' frames themselves have been updated. All frames have become less blocky and are no longer of an equal width all the way around, and the texturing used in each has been changed.
** Even the "new" frames released in 2003 have changed. For example, the frames used for Artifacts in 8th Edition and ''Mirrodin'' proved too difficult to tell apart from white cards at a glance, and were darkened for ''Darksteel'' in 2004. Subtle tapering was added to two-color multicolor cards for ''Ravnica: City of Guilds'' in 2006 (although, in fairness, only one two-color gold card had existed in the new frames before that) to show ''which'' colors were involved.
** The first colored artifact in the game was [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=107362 Transguild Courier]], from ''Ravnica'', which was printed on the normal 3-or-more-color gold card frame. Future colored artifacts, starting with [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=136212 Sarcomite Myr]] from ''Future Sight'' (which is the first artifact to be colored by actually having colored mana in its cost), introduced a new colored artifact frame that combined the outer frame of an ordinary artifact with a colored inner frame. The first card to use this in the normal modern card frame was [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159408 Reaper King]] from ''Shadowmoor''. (Sarcomite Myr was a timeshifted card on a "futuristic" card frame; by the time it was [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205339 reprinted on the modern card frame]] in ''Planechase'', the colored artifact frame had made its proper debut in ''Shadowmoor'' and, more extensively, in ''Shards of Alara''.)
** In addition, white card borders (previously used to distinguish core sets from Expert-level block expansions) have been entirely discontinued.
** As of the Magic 2015 core set, the frames have changed again, narrowing the borders slightly to allow more focus on the art, changing the font to one that is unique to [=WotC=] and adding a foil dot on rares and mythic rares to help fight counterfeiting.
* TheArtifact:
** Every card has to be indistinguishable from the back[[note]]not counting the double-faced cards which were released starting in 2011[[/note]]. As a result:
*** The word "Deckmaster" still appears on new card backs, even though the Deckmaster brand ceased to exist in the mid '90.
*** The word 'Magic' is (and always will be) blue, despite the fact that the official logo has been yellow for years.
*** There's a faint purple line on the back of every card, running through the word Deckmaster. [[http://archive.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtgcom/askwizards/0504 Someone made a stray pen mark on the original card backs]], and so now every card needs to have that mark reproduced exactly. (''Vanguard'' cards, being larger and not part of the deck, didn't need to have uniform backs, so the mark is mostly absent on those.)
** Many card abilities. When the game was new, colors were very ill-defined. Many cards were placed in colors based only on where the creature in question lives or what it does, even if its abilities as a card are completely different from most cards of that color, but cards like that remain in that color now [[GrandfatherClause just because of the earlier ones]]. Look at a list of cards from most sets and compare it to descriptions of the colors and you'll always find a few cards that don't fit the description, but they're there because they are similar or identical to really common or famous or powerful cards that were printed back when the company was still figuring this stuff out.
** The Gatherer text for [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Winter%20Orb Winter Orb]] returned to it an old, old rule; in old editions of ''Magic'', any Artifact could be tapped to "switch off" its effects, a rule intended to emphasize their status as sorcerous machines.
** Templating changes have made some older cards counterintuitive. For example, when the card "Auramancer" was printed in 2001, the word "aura" was often used to refer to enchantments. In ''9th Edition,'' local enchantments were re-templated to use the subtype, "Aura." This has caused a lot of confusion in more recent printings, since Auramancer can interact with ''any'' Enchantment, not just Auras.
** Graveyard order: Some old cards care about the specific order of cards in your graveyard. Even though the last such card was printed in 1998, there are still specific rules defining the order that cards are placed in the graveyard, just in case.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=122123 Braid of Fire]] was designed and balanced around mana burn, where you would take damage if you had unused mana empty from your mana pool. This meant that the longer you kept Braid of Fire around without the ability to spend the mana it was making, the more damage you would take until you choose not to let it make mana. With the mana burn rule phased out, there is no downside to the card's cumulative upkeep, which left newer players confused over why such a beneficial "upkeep cost" would be printed. The only thing keeping this from being a full-on Game Breaker is that said mana is restricted for use only during your upkeep phase[[note]]Your mana pool automatically empties between phases and steps[[/note]], limiting its use to abilities, instants, or anything with flash.
* ArtifactOfDeath:
** Many artifacts qualify. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=208006 Jinxed Idol]] is a good example, which keeps dealing damage to the player who controls it until he or she sacrifices a creature to hand control of it to an opponent. [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159266 Nevinyrral's Disk]] is another which, upon use, destroys ALL creatures, artifacts, and enchantments in play, including itself. Similar is [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=227302 Worldslayer]], an artifact equipment blade. Whenever the equipped creature (i.e. creature wielding the sword) deals combat damage to a player, all permanents other than Worldslayer are destroyed (note that this would include the creature equipping Worldslayer at that moment).
** While not "artifacts" by the standard ''M:tG'' definition, a number of black cards qualify. [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=135256 Graveborn Muse]], for example, is a creature but basically functions like an enchantment or artifact that lets you draw extra cards at the cost of losing life — and it's ''not'' optional. If you don't manage to kill your opponent using the extra cards, the Muse will kill you.
* ArtificialStupidity:
** The AI in ''[[TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering Duels Of The Planeswalkers]]'' generally knows what to do with each of the decks, excepting a few mistakes it'll consistently make. However, in 2013, it has no idea what to do with the Plane cards in Planechase. It'll throw mana at rolling the planar die even when a success won't actually do anything, or when the current plane favors their deck, or when it really ought to attack before doing so, or in a few cases when a success would be actively detrimental (say, bringing them closer to death by milling).
** The '97 game by Creator/MicroProse can be even stupider-occasions abound of the AI committing suicide. Mana Flare being played against a deck that's not built to take advantage of said enchantment (which causes all lands to produce one extra mana of the same type for EACH Mana Flare in play) will result in the AI's slow death from Mana Burn. The AI will play cards like Howl From Beyond and Giant Growth on YOUR creatures and give you free kills/damage for no reason, enchant your creatures for no reason, and generally play like it's drunk.
* ArtisticLicenseStatistics: A common complaint in the online and video game versions of the game is that the algorithm used to shuffle players' decks is flawed and biased. Some say the bias is towards "mana flood", where you get too many mana-producing cards (and not enough spells to actually use that mana with), while others say towards "mana screw", which is the ''exact opposite'' — not getting enough. In reality, the algorithm is completely incapable of either, since it does not consider what type any given card is when performing the shuffle. The reason for the perceived dissonance between physical and online play is that having to physically shuffle a deck enough to provide a truly random distribution every time would be incredibly annoying, particularly given the number of times some decks end up being shuffled in a single game. At the end of a game, most people just take their land cards, which end up all in one pile, and put them into the deck at fairly even intervals to avoid there being giant clumps of nothing but land. For practical reasons, even in tournaments, it's accepted that the deck doesn't have to be truly randomly distributed — it just needs to be random enough that a player can't predict what comes next.
* TheAssimilator: A common tactic of the Phyrexians. In terms of game mechanics, this manifests as them turning a target creature into an artifact, and then having their controller assume control of it.
* AsteroidsMonster:
** [[https://scryfall.com/card/avr/112/maalfeld-twins Maalfeld Twins]] is a 4/4 conjoined twin zombie. When it dies, it spawns two 2/2 zombie tokens, representing the twins splitting.
** [[https://scryfall.com/card/rtr/140/worldspine-wurm Worldspine Wurm]] is a massive 15/15 creature that spawns three 5/5 wurm tokens upon death.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=271195 Mitotic Slime]] takes this a step even further. When it dies, it spawns two 2/2 ooze tokens. When ''they'' die, they spawn two 1/1 ooze tokens.
** [[https://scryfall.com/card/me3/50/spiny-starfish Spiny Starfish]] is a non-fatal version. It can regenerate and, whenever it does so, it creates a weak 0/1 starfish token to represent a new starfish growing from a severed limb.
* AsymmetricMultiplayer: The Archenemy format pits a team of three against one, who is designated as the Archenemy. To help even the odds, the Archenemy starts with 40 life instead of 20, and draws from a special Scheme deck at the start of each turn.
* AttackAnimal:
** All creatures are {{Attack Animal}}s for you, the planeswalker.
** See also TheBeastmaster for examples of characters who fight with pets.
* AttackAttackAttack:
** The main (and sometimes ''only'') strategy of weenie decks, especially green and red weenies. ZergRush your opponents with as many cheap creatures as you can muster and hope to overwhelm them before they can set up anything stronger.
** Certain cards have this as a drawback. [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=378471 Impetuous Sunchaser]], for example, must attack every turn if able.
** Other cards force this mindset onto creatures. [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4538 Boiling Blood]] is an instant which forces a target creature to attack. [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=456517 Anger Turtle]] is a creature with this ability, while [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=430296 Avatar of Slaughter]] not only forces all creatures to attack, but gives them all ''double strike''.
* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever:
** Implied with the classic card [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129568 Giant Growth]], combined with MakeMyMonsterGrow. It gives a creature +3/+3 for one turn. [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=198172 Gigantomancer]] is a creature with the ability to turn any other creature into a 7/7 for one turn. [[https://scryfall.com/card/zen/162/gigantiform?utm_source=mci Gigantiform]] is an aura enchantment which turns the enchanted creature into an 8/8 with trample. Naturally, these are all green mana cards.
** ''Rise of the Eldrazi'' features [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=194908 some]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220553 of]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=198171 the]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=194911 largest]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193632 creatures]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193452 EVER]] printed in the history of the game.
** [[PlayerArchetypes The "Timmy" demographic]] is defined as caring first and foremost about massive creatures that can slam the opponent (or, in a broader sense, any spell with a huge, sweeping effect), and ''Magic'' sure has no shortage. The classic "biggest and baddest" is [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=108920 Leviathan]]; other notables include the devastating [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=43711 Dragon Tyrant]], the unspeakably large [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=135250 Denizen of the Deep]], and the majestic [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=175105 Godsire]]. The single biggest, baddest, most ''monstrous'' monster in the whole game, though? The dread goddess [[http://magiccards.info/cs/en/145.html Marit Lage]], who is so powerful she can't even be summoned by normal means.
* AttackReflector:
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1718 Reflecting Mirror]], perhaps the oldest example in the game, is an artifact which allows you to redirect spells for twice their mana cost.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=45277 Deflect]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=290288 Redirect]], and [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Discussion.aspx?multiverseid=89087 Reroute]] are all this trope in spell form. Notably, these can also redirect your opponent's beneficial spells to you instead.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=386516 Deflecting Palm]] is a martial arts form of this.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=78594 Konda, Lord of Eiganjo]], TheEmperor of most of Kamigawa, is literally indestructible (for plot reasons), and fights as an 8/8. (For comparison, a typical dragon is in the 5/5 range.)
* AutoRevive:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=174818 Lich's Mirror]] allows you to start the game over with 20 life if you die with it in play. Of course, ''you'' start over with nothing in play, but your opponent gets to keep all the cards they already have out.
** Persist and Undying are keywords, both of which are abilities that return dying creatures to play with a counter on it (-1/-1 and +1/+1 respectively), if it didn't already have one.
* AwesomeButImpractical: Many cards have spectacular, awe-inspiring effects that will almost certainly win you the game -- '''if''' you ever get enough mana to actually cast them before your opponent kills you, '''and''' your opponent doesn't have a counterspell or some other cheap, efficient answer. There are so many specific examples that [[AwesomeButImpractical/MagicTheGathering they have their own page]].
* AwesomeButTemporary:
** There are a number of powerful creatures who can be summoned initially for relatively low mana, but require some form of cumulative upkeep in order to keep them in play. A prominent example is [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4505 Aboroth]], a 9/9 creature for six mana but who gets -1/-1 cumulatively every turn. So turn one, 9/9, turn 2, 8/8, turn 3, 6/6 and so on.
** As seen with Aboroth, Age Counters in general accomplish this. Many creatures and artifacts can be summoned for less initial mana relative to their power, but have an age counter added each turn. The cost to keep each permanent in play gets higher each turn, until it is no longer possible to keep it around any longer.
** Fading and Vanishing achieve the same effect, with the permanent losing a counter each turn until it has to be sacrificed.
* AnAxeToGrind: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370405 Thirsting Axe]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/c17/50/bloodforged-battle-axe Bloodforged Battle-Axe]] are each artifact equipment which raise the power of the wielding creature.
* BackFromTheDead: White and black both have versions of this at play. White spells and abilities with this effect tend to be costlier (in terms of mana), more restrictive, and can typically only target your own creatures, but they are also usually true resurrection - the creature is back just as it was before (and sometimes, even stronger). Black resurrection tends to be more in the AnimateDead flavor. The creatures often come back weaker than before (minus counters, lacking their abilities, etc.), are only back temporarily, and/or require the sacrifice of another creature. However, it is usually cheaper (in terms of mana), less restrictive, and not limited to a player's own graveyard... It can be awfully fun and cathartic to bring back one of your opponent's creatures to use against them.
* BackgroundMagicField: Essentially the mechanic behind tapping lands for mana.
* BackStab: The "Prowl" ability of Rogues in ''Morningtide'' functions as one of these.
* BadassNormal: "Human" creatures tend to be this, especially white mana humans. In sets that focus on them, they're usually up against all manner of supernatural and super powered entities (werewolves, vampires, mages, etc.) and are perfectly capable of coming out on top thanks to focuses on teamwork and various means of [[EmpoweredBadassNormal empowerment]].
* BadassPacifist: It is possible to build "mill" decks which are completely incapable of dealing damage, but still win by "decking" opponents. Generally, these decks are extremely defensively oriented, negating damage and/or gaining life to outlast your opponent while playing things like [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129643 Millstone]] and [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=405399 Stroke of Genius]] to bleed your opponent's deck dry. Often crosses over with LethalHarmlessPowers as well.
* BalancingDeathsBooks: The idea behind [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=hell%27s%20caretaker Hell's Caretaker]] and similar cards. They allow you bring creatures back from the graveyard at the cost of sacrificing other creatures to "take their place".
* BalefulPolymorph:
** Forced transformations are the basis for a number of spells. For example, [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=126212 Ovinize]] turns a target create into a 0/1 sheep for the rest of the turn. [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=157401 Snakeform]] turns the target into a 1/1 snake for the rest of the turn. [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=5702 Humble]] is similar in effect, without actually transforming the target.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=204977 Mass Polymorph]], effectively, turns all of the creatures you have on the battlefield into other creatures from your deck at random. With some luck, you can turn a handful of "chumps" into much more powerful creatures.
* BanishingRitual: There is more than one mechanic that works like this. Summoned creature cards can be, for example, returned to their owner's hand or forced to be shuffled back into the deck. The most permanent one of these is the "exile" mechanic, that removes a card completely from the game. None of these mechanics are, however, limited to any certain type of creatures.
* BatteringRam: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=997 Battering Ram]] is an artifact creature which, while otherwise weak on its own, destroys walls in a single hit.
* BattleBoomerang: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=198395 Razor Boomerang]] which, despite its appearance, is considered one of the worst cards in the game. (Five mana for one damage is pitifully weak.)
* BattleChant: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Discussion.aspx?multiverseid=270996 Battle Hymn]], which gives you one red mana for each creature you control. The idea behind it is that the more creatures you have doing the "chant", the more powerful it becomes.
* BattleCry: A keyword ability in ''Mirrodin Besieged''. For example, see [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=214064 Hero of Bladehold]] or [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=213782 Goblin Wardriver]].
* BattleOfWits: Is an [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=83133 instant-win card]]. Since cards in your library are meant to represent knowledge, in this case, you win by being the most knowledgeable.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor:
** The [[https://scryfall.com/search?as=full&order=name&q=wish+e%3Ajudgment&utm_source=mci Cycle of Wishes]], which each allows you to bring a specific type of card into play that isn't part of your current deck, Subverts it as the only drawback is needing to exile your "Wish" card. [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=136157 Glittering Wish]] is a simiar call back to the cycle.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Braid%20of%20Fire Braid of Fire]] works on this philosophy. Its mana given/casting cost ratio makes it one of the best mana accelerants ever made. However, it was created during the days of Mana Burn, so if you could not use all of the mana it was generating, you'd take increasing amounts of damage until you lose. Subverted in modern ''Magic'', where Mana Burn is no longer inflicted.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=wishclaw%20talisman Wishclaw Talisman]], a ShoutOut to ''Literature/TheMonkeysPaw'', lets you get any card you want from your library for a ridiculously cheap mana cost. The downside is that, after you use it, your opponent also gets to use it...
* BerserkerTears: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=21293 Tears of Rage]], which power up each of your attacking creatures by an amount equal to the number of attacking creatures.
* BewitchedAmphibians: [[https://scryfall.com/card/ori/81/turn-to-frog Turn to Frog]], which turns a target creature into a 1/1 blue frog with no abilities.
* BigCreepyCrawlies: Insects are a common creature type for black and green, ranging in size from "a little bigger than in real life" weenies ([[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4749 Bayou Dragonfly]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=466841 Blight Beetle]]) to monstrous sizes with power on the level of ''dragons'' ([[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=397821 Ant Queen]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=470650 Bane of the Living]]). Perhaps the largest insect is the red [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=19731 Lithophage]], a 7/7 creature which ''eats mountains''.
* BigEater: [[http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/activity/127 There's been some debate]] about which creature in ''Magic'' is the hungriest. Some candidates are [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=292979 Doomgape]] (so hungry it even eats itself!), [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=35056 Worldgorger Dragon]] (immediately eats all of your permanents), and the more traditional BigEater, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74224 Fat Ass]] (whose hunger is contagious, compelling any mages who summon him to become {{Big Eater}}s themselves).
* BigDamnHeroes: Several cards qualify. Some notable examples:
** The aptly-named instant [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=154003 Dramatic Entrance]] lets you turn [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=89096 any]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=109684 given]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=191394 massive]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=179496 creature]] into your very own {{Big Damn Hero|es}}.
** There's also [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=46617 Avatar of Hope]], which [[YouShallNotPass can block anything]]. What's so big damn heroic about it? It costs only two mana to play when you have three life or less.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=389427 Angel of the Dire Hour]], while expensive, and turn around a game in no time by removing ''every single creature'' that's attacking you.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=222774 Angel of Salvation]], which not only makes a sudden appearance to haul you out of trouble, but can also protect you from potential serious harm.
* BiggerIsBetter:
** Personified in the ''Rise of the Eldrazi'' expansion, where gigantic monsters are the theme of the set.
** See also SerialEscalation.
* BlackHoleBelly: A staple of the Atog creatures. [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?name=Atog The original]] eats artifacts in order to power up, but others added since then eat corpses, enchantments, lands, creatures, cards in hand, and even [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=31834 other Atogs]].
* BlackKnight: The long-time black staple [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205218 Black Knight]]. In line with the trope not only in appearance, "First Strike" implies his prowess in combat while "Protection from White" hints at his rivalry with the (typically white) KnightInShiningArmor types.
* BlackMage: Many Instant and Sorcery focused decks are in this vein (as opposed to the SummonMagic nature of creature focused decks). Red lends itself best to this build as it is the color with the largest number of direct damage spells. Black has this secondarily, including some other Black Mage staples like poison and life drain.
* BladeOnAStick:
** A common weapon of Soldier type creatures and those with First Strike, suggesting the reach offered by such a weapon allows them to get past their opponent's defenses.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=373717 Spear of Heliod]] and [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=380426 Godsend]] are a pair of legendary artifact spears from Theros. The former boosts every creature you control by +1/+1 and can directly destroy an attack creature once per turn (a rare effect for the typically removing/negating focused white). The latter gives a large +3/+3 boost to the equipped creature and also exiles anything it blocks/is blocked by, while also preventing your opponent from playing any copies of the creature that was exiled. Both of these weapons are, flavor-wise, wielded by gods.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=240065 Moonsilver Spear]] is a legendary artifact spear and the IconicItem of the [[CrystalDragonJesus Archangel Avacyn]] of Innistrad. Equipped creatures gain First Strike and, when attacking, create a [[GuardianAngel 4/4 Angel token]] for their side. Again, this is the weapon of a god-level being.
* BlankBook:
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=tome%20scour Tome Scour]] forces your opponent to discard five cards from their deck. The card art features erasing pages from a book to drive the point home.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=230627 Curse of the Bloody Tome]] is similar, enchanting a player who then has to discard two cards form their deck each term. Again, the card art and flavor quote imply a book's pages being blanked out leading to lost knowledge.
* BlessedWithSuck:
** Many of the extremely mighty creatures ([[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=191312 Darksteel Colossus]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=259706 Serra Avatar]], ...) have an ability that puts them back into the deck every time they hit the graveyard. Sounds great, until you realize that this is a deliberate safety measure to prevent players from discarding and reanimating them, thus circumventing paying their steep cost.
** Back in the days of Mana Burn, generating a large amount of mana could turn into this if you weren't careful.
* BlindSeer:
** The eponymous [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?name=Blind%20Seer Blind Seer]] card. Despite the implied handicap, it is a 3/3 creature who can change the color of spells and permanents.
** Similarly, the [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=430412 Skyward Eye Prophets]] are showin the card art to be blindfolded, but are a 3/3 creature with Vigilance and the ability to draw an extra card, playing it immediately if it is a land.
* BlindedByTheLight: Light-based attacks in this vein are common in white. [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205219 Blinding Mage]] taps a target creature, implying that it is has been blinded and is unable to attack. [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=83007 Blinding Angel]] can do this to the opposing ''player''.
* BlobMonster: "Ooze" creatures, whose common abilities including splitting into multiple smaller (usually token) creatures, combining to form stronger creatures, absorbing creatures to increase in power and/or gain their abilities. [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=460776 Experiment Kraj]] is a particularly famous and powerful example, having the ability to power up your other creatures as well as use their abilities. [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=262866 Predator Ooze]] is an homage to ''Film/TheBlob1958'', being indestructable and gaining power/toughness each time it destroys another creature (implying that it is expanding by absorbing them).
* BloodKnight: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=130715 Blood Knight]]. There's also his predecessor, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=221568 Black Knight]].
* BloodLust: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=201272 Blood Lust]] is an instant which sacrifices a creature's toughness (down to 1) for a +4 increase in power.
* BloodMagic: A specialty of the black Planeswalker [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=238330 Sorin Markov]]. In effect, it takes the form of draining your opponent's life, placing curses, and, at the highest levels, mind control (which is usually more of a blue staple).
* BloodOath: Implied by the sorcery [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205118 Sign in Blood]]. You trade two life to draw two cards...or inflict it onto your opponent instead.
* BloodsuckingBats: [[https://scryfall.com/card/a25/80/bloodhunter-bat Bloodhunter Bat]], which steals two life from your opponent and gives it to you when it enters play.
* BlowYouAway: Wind-based spells and abilities are a staple of green magic. They tend to be especially devastating to creatures with Flying, such as [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?name=Hurricane Hurricane]].
* BlueMeansCold: While primarily associated with water, blue magic has many icy elements as well. For example, [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=245283 Ice Cage]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=122402 Frozen Aether]], and [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=397775 Flashfreeze]] are all blue spells.
* BodyOfBodies:
** Implied with [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=214048 Phyrexian Rebirth]], which destroys all creatures and then puts a token on the battlefield with power/toughness equal to the number of creatures destroyed.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=409854 Diregraf Colossus]] gets a +1/+1 counter for each zombie in your graveyard, implying that their corpses are being added to it for greater power.
* BodySled: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?printed=false&multiverseid=39826 Goblin Sledder]] sacrifices another goblin to gain +1/+1. The card art really drives the idea home.
* BoltOfDivineRetribution:
** Extremely popular among white magic. Lightning and {{Holy Hand Grenade}}s are the two most common forms, typically destroying creatures outright and sometimes sweeping the board entirely. [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=3487 Divine Retribution]] and [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=429866 Wrath of God]] are two prime examples, both depicting lightning in their card art as well.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205227 Lightning Bolt]] itself is an ever-popular red direct damage instant, trading one mana for three damage.
* BoogieKnights: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=9742 Knight of the Hokey Pokey]] gets a bonus if you do the Hokey Pokey!
* BoringButPractical:
** Specific Cards:
*** If you were to imagine the most powerful (and expensive) cards in ''M:tG'' history, you might picture behemoth creatures stomping everything in their path or board-sweeping spells that can win the game in a single turn...but you'd be wrong. Enter the infamous and legendary "[[https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/power-nine-2003-10-15 Power Nine]]" - nine cards consisting of six artifacts, two sorceries, and one instant. The single most powerful, expensive, and most frequently banned/limited card in the game's history is [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Black%20Lotus Black Lotus]] - a flower artifact that gives you three free mana, once. However, simple and practical as that may be, it completely throws the curve of mana generation, allowing you to get more powerful spells into the game sooner, before your opponent can reasonably defend against them. Zvi Mowshowitz, a tournament player, designer for Wizards of the Coast, and eventual ''Magic'' Hall of Famer, once said there was not a deck that could be built that could not be improved by adding a Black Lotus to it. The other five artifacts, the "Moxen", are each an artifact which can generate one colored mana each turn. Even ''that'' proved to be too powerful and they had to be banned/heavily restricted in every format. Finally, the instant of the Power Nine, Ancestral Recall, allows you to perform the simple act of drawing three cards for one mana. Again, so simple, yet so powerful that it had to be banned.
*** Basic Lands. They give you the mana to cast other spells, and are the most reliable way to get mana. Each basic land gives you one mana of its color and can be used as soon as it's played. There are many varieties of lands that give you life, damage your opponent, or give you a choice of different mana types. They almost always have some disadvantage, however, like costing life to play, only giving colorless mana, or not being usable on the turn they enter the field.
*** There are exactly three cards banned in every single format they're available in, even in formats where the Power Nine are allowed to be played. What kind of horrific, unspeakable powers do these cards have? [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Chaos+Orb Chaos Orb]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Falling+Star Falling Star]] simply destroy creatures, while [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=980 Shahrazad]] makes everyone play a subgame of Magic [[note]]players have to play another game with their libraries in the middle of the first game[[/note]]. However, all three cards were so horrible to play against that they're one of the few cards that don't involve ante or have the "Conspiracy" card type and yet are banned in all formats.
*** [[https://scryfall.com/card/m20/78/unsummon Unsummon]] and similar cards removes a creature from the game for only one mana, but your opponent can still use that card later. If you use it on a creature with high mana cost, your opponent will have to spend all that mana again, and if you use it on a creature with loads of counters, you've reset them to their base power and toughness.
*** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=79217 Isamaru, Hound of Konda]] is a legendary creature. These types of creatures, which you may only have one of the battlefield at a time, are usually gods or dragons or some other monstrously powerful behemoth, usually with abilities that make it even more of a threat. Isamaru is a mere 2/2, with no abilities...but only costs a single white mana to cast. This has led to Isamaru becoming perhaps the single most used legendary creature in the history of the game, and he gets even better in the EDH/Commander formats.
*** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=2714 Swords to Plowshares]]. For a single white mana, it removes a creature from the game and gives its owner its power in life points. It is the cheapest "removal" in the game, makes it difficult for your opponent to get that creature back since it exiles rather than destroys, and has only a very minor downside (giving your opponent some life back). Expect to see any player using white in their deck at all (even if it is a secondary or tertiary color) using these in sets in which they are legal.
** Decks and Strategies:
*** The metagame has long been dominated by big flashy spells and creatures. At some point, someone had the idea to build a deck focusing on cheap, easy to summon creatures that most serious players ignored, known as "Weenies." The idea being that a big, flashy spell which takes a long time to set up is no good if that player has already been defeated by a ZergRush of weenies. A few nearly one-sided tournaments later, the "weenie" archetype that we (Magic players) all know and love was born.
*** Token decks are similar to Weenies. Unlike regular creatures, tokens are, more often than not, designed to just keep coming. And coming. And coming. They seldom have any abilties, and seldom more anything more complex than flying, but when you have an army well into the triple digits, the fact that it's a bunch of tiny [=1/1s=] is hardly relevant. And we didn't even mention empowering this horde...
*** Blue-White control decks takes this trope to its most literal meaning. With a slew of cheap blue counterspells and white removal, you effectively render your opponent impotent throughout the entire match while either digging up your own combo or pinging him with consistent yet hard to remove damage. As expected, when your opponent has to face the likes of [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=render+silent&v=card&s=cname Render Silent]] and [[http://magiccards.info/m14/en/35.html Silence]] every single turn, it gets hilariously annoying and boring for them, especially if you just wiped the field (so they don't have any existing stuff to use either).
* BossBattle:
** Most decks will include at least one (if not a few) extremely powerful creatures which require a lot of mana and/or other difficult-to-meet summoning conditions to use as late-game closers, invoking an idea similar to a boss battle at the end of a match.
** The Archenemy format pits a team of players against a single opponent. To even the odds, the Archenemy has a larger amount of life and a separate deck of schemes to give himself and advantage or impose a disadvantage on the team.
* BossInMookClothing: There are a number of low mana cost creatures which don't look like particularly powerful at first glance, but can quickly become very difficult to defeat once they hit the board. To note some prominent examples:
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=31825 Psychatog]] is a mere uncommon, three mana, 1/2 who can quickly become one of the most devastating creatures in the game. By discarding cards from your hand, removing cards from your graveyard, or a combination thereof, you can beef Psychatog up with +1/+1 counters. Its superb offensive and defensive potential let it assert aggressive pressure all by itself, which frees up space for more reactive cards to shut down an opposing deck before it can get rolling—and since it synergizes well with card draw and mill, it also fits well into decks designed to "go off" very quickly. Further, since it can consume an entire graveyard and hand, it can easily reach 20/20 late in the game. Finally, if all of that power potential alone doesn't do it for you, its abilities to discard and/or remove at will benefit all sorts of decks, including those built around the [[https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Madness Madness]] keyword or [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159249 Animate Dead]], just to name a few.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=136142 Tarmogoyf]] was thought to be a JokeCharacter, printed in ''Future Sight'' so that its reminder text could be used as {{Foreshadowing}} for the then-unreleased Planeswalker and Tribal card types. However, it turned out to be [[LethalJokeCharacter so effective]] that it's now the most expensive card printed in the last ten years. For two mana, with the right deck to support it, you can easily turn it into a 4/5 or 5/6, up to a potential 8/9. Again, for ''two mana''.
* BrainBleach: With the idea that the deck is your sanity and your hand is your memory, any cards which discard from either act as this. This can even be beneficial, as your graveyard is a frequent power source and many cards can be more cheaply summoned from the graveyard than they can be played directly from your hand. [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=132229 Bonded Fetch]] is a particularly flavorful example.
* BrainFood: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=279612 Appetite for Brains]] allows you to exile a card from your opponent's hand. The idea behind it, with the idea that a player's hand represents their memory, is that you're eating a portion of their brain.
* {{Brainwashing}}: A staple of blue cards (such as [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=238572 Mind Control]]) is to gain control of your opponents' creatures (and other permanents). Red features a temporary version of this (e.g. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=398578 Act of Treason]]) that allows you to attack with your opponents's creatures.
* BriarPatching: An Exploited trope in the metagame. Most commonly, it involves leaving lands uptapped with cards in hand at the end of your turn. Your opponent will almost always believe you have an Instant ready to play to counter whatever they are attempting to do. A prime example is the classic blue [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=413585 Counterspell]]. Many players, upon seeing two untapped islands and a card in hand, will be rather hesitant to play a spell, regardless of what you might actually have.
* BribingYourWayToVictory:
** While it's entirely possible to build decks on a budget, Magic is ''expensive'' for the serious player or collector. Prices for tournament-winning, in-print single cards routinely exceed $20, and sometimes even approach/exceed $100. On top of that, the most popular and common tournament formats rotate new sets in and old sets out each year, serving the dual function of keeping the game fresh and keeping Wizards in business selling new cards.
** Inverted with the "Limited" tournament format, where the price of entry (around $20) includes several packs of cards, which the tournament participants must then make decks out of (in some versions, the player is limited to whichever packs were given him at random; in others, the players pass the packs around the table and pick a single card). In the end, cards are kept (though rares are sometimes put aside to be handed out, with higher ranking participants getting first pick). Because cards are chosen non-randomly, this is actually a cheaper method of obtaining the cards you want.
** ''Duels of the Planeswalkers'' and its sequels. While you can unlock any and all of the cards in the game through gameplay, you can also buy DLC that unlocks the thematic decks of the planeswalkers featured in the game. Doing this unlocks all the cards in that deck, meaning you can now use them to customize yours. And since the latest (and now perseistent) version is Free to Play, this borders on AllegedlyFreeGame territory.
* BrokeTheRatingScale: The "Storm Scale" is a 10 point system used by head designer Mark Rosewater to determine how unlikely he thinks it is for a particular mechanic to return to Standard format. It is named after the infamously unbalanced [[https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Storm Storm]] mechanic, which received a 10 ("never say never, but this is pretty close to never".) Receiving an 11 and breaking the scale is the infamous "Bands with Other".
* BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu: A trait of the [[EldritchAbomination Eldrazi]]. If even the weakest of their type attacks, you will have to sacrifice a permanent, even if you kill it. [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=emrakul%2C+the+aeons+torn Emrakul, the Aeons Torn]], will cost you ''six'' permanents, meaning that even if you're able to kill the creature, you will have lost most if not all of your board presence.
* BrokenAngel: Angels are typically a white specialty, being some of their most powerful creatures. Fallen Angel is a frequently reprinted angel who has turned to black mana. Depending on the card art, she either has [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3844 amputated]] or [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=197010 broken]] wings, while still retaining the power of a lesser angel.
* BroughtDownToNormal:
** Numerous cards exist which remove the abilities of target creatures. For instance, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=96918 Crash Landing]] targets creatures with flying while [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=83008 Blood Moon]] turns all non-basic lands (which notably can do things like create more one one type of mana, or have special powerful effects) into basic, mundane mountains.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=397614 Humility]] is perhaps the ultimate version of this in the game, as it makes ''every'' creature have base power and toughness 1/1.
* BrownNoteBeing: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=188962 Nemesis of Reason]]. Whenever it attacks, it also forces the defending player to discard the top 10 cards from their deck, which represents their "sanity".
* CallingYourShots:
** You must do this for every card you play in accordance with the rules. The first step in casting a spell is to announce it which includes naming all its targets, costs, and modes. Not announcing your spells properly is a rules violation since it is considered public information that you need to present to your opponent fully.
** Several cards reward you for doing this in specific ways, including [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=204982 Conundrum Sphinx]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=75248 Mindblaze]], and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74304 Mise]], among others.
** A famous example of a Called Shot is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju_LZGBN5qU Gabriel Nassif's Cruel Ultimatum from the quarterfinals of Pro Tour Kyoto in 2009]]. With no cards in hand and on the brink of losing the game, he picked up the top card of his library without looking at it and arranged his lands to produce two blue, two red, and three black mana: "My [[http://magiccards.info/ala/en/164.html Cruel Ultimatum]] mana." Lo and behold, he flipped the card over to reveal...Cruel Ultimatum, the one card he needed to win the game and advance to the finals.
* CallToAgriculture: Implied in one of the iconic white spells, [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=2714 Swords to Plowshares]]. For a single white mana, it removes a creature from the game and gives its owner its power in life points. The implication is that you're sending that creature away to work a farm, removing it from battle while providing your opponent life. (A trade-off most players will gladly accept forcing onto their opponents.)
* {{Caltrops}}: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=25655 Caltrops]] is an artifact card. When in play, it deals one damage to all attacking creatures.
* CameBackStrong:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=194940 Tuktuk the Explorer]], combining this trope with MagikarpPower. As a three mana 1/1, Tuktuk is well below the power curve. However, if he is sent to the graveyard, you place a 5/5 token into play called "Tuktuk the Returned".
** "Undying" is a keyword with this effect. If a creature with "undying" is sent to the graveyard from the battlefield, it returns to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter. (If it is sent to the graveyard again, it stays dead.) [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=262835 Undying Evil]] is a spell which grants any creature "undying".
* CameBackWrong: Common in black spells which can return creatures from the graveyard, often more cheaply than the normal summoning conditions for those creatures, but they are often weaker in some way. (Reduced power/toughness, they cannot use their abilities, they are only able to return temporarily, etc.)
* CanisMajor: [[https://scryfall.com/card/shm/68/hollowborn-barghest?utm_source=mci Hollowborn Barghest]] is a ''massive'' demonic dog, with power on the level of gods and dragons.
* CannibalismSuperpower:
** Implied with [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=228232 Mimeoplasm]]. When it enters play, you exile two creatures from your graveyard. Mimeoplasm becomes a copy of one of the cards (power, toughness, abilities) with a number of +1/+! counters equal to the power of the other card.
** Unsurprisingly, the card [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=397631 Cannibalize]] lets you do this to your own creatures or enforce it on your enemy.
** A large number of black creatures (and some of other colors) let you sacrifice a creature to make it grow in size, most of which is implied if not outright states in the fluff. Examples include [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=430268 Blood Bairn]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=442089 Phyrexian Ghoul]], and [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=401688 Bloodthrone Vampire]].
* CardBattleGame: Most video game adaptations, including the Creator/MicroProse ''Shandalar'' game and ''Duels of the Planeswalkers''.
* CastFromHitPoints:
** Aside from the infamous [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=202596 Channel]]-[[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=221550 Fireball]] combo, planeswalkers fall under this as well: Some of their ability require the removal of loyalty counters. These same counters effectively act as their life totals; once they're out of counters, they're gone. Most also invert this trope by having abilities that ''give'' them loyalty counters as well, as well as a few with abilities that do nothing to their counter totals.
** Phyrexian mana symbols from ''New Phyrexia'': For each Phyrexian mana symbol in a cost, you can pay 1 mana of the specified color, or 2 life.
** Some spells and abilities work like this by default, or as a way to enhance their effects.
* CastFromMoney:
** [[https://scryfall.com/card/bng/73/gild Gild]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/jou/74/king-macar-the-gold-cursed King Macar]], both riffs on the King Midas myth, create "Gold" artifact tokens that can then be sacrificed for mana of any color.
** The ''Ixalan'' sets have [[https://scryfall.com/card/txln/7/treasure Treasure]] tokens, which are basiclaly the same as the Gold tokens above, except with the ObviousRulePatch that you must tap them ''before'' sacrificing them for mana.
* CastFromSanity: This is the case for decks built around the keyword abilities Hellbent, Madness, and, to a lesser extent, Dredge. Sanity is represented by the cards left in your hand and in your library; an empty hand is unstable, an empty library is when a planeswalker is going to completely lose their mind. Madness allows you to sacrifice short-term sanity to play the card you're discarding cheaply[[note]]in fact, it can only be used when you’re discarding the card ''anyway'', so it’s a case of “use it or lose it”[[/note]]; Hellbent denotes cards that gain an advantage when your hand is empty; and Dredge allows you to affect your long-term sanity to recur things from your graveyard.
* CastingAShadow: Lies within black's purview, examples including [[https://scryfall.com/card/som/65/grasp-of-darkness?utm_source=mci Grasp of Darkness]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/vis/52/blanket-of-night?utm_source=mci Blanket of Night]].
* CatapultToGlory: Common among goblins, such as [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4821 Goblin Bombardment]], as well as giants who sometimes [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=140183 act as the catapault]].
* CatchAndReturn:
** Blue has a number of spells in this vein, including [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Discussion.aspx?multiverseid=290288 Redirect]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=121243 Commandeer]], and [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=5209 Rebound]].
** Red also has a few, but befitting the color's nature, they tend to emphasize the "catch" part less and the "return" part more. Examples include [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205038 Reverberate]] (which copies and returns the spell) and [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=376588 Wild Ricochet]] (which catches, copies, and returns).
* CaveMouth:
** The card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129598 Howling Mine]] looks like this most of the time, DependingOnTheArtist.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=121234 Mouth of Ronam]] is a more literal version of this, being a cave that can be activated to crush another creature in its jaws.
* CCGImportanceDissonance:
** [[http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/Gerrard_Capashen Gerrard Capashen]] is the hero of the ''Weatherlight'' saga, which spanned across years of the storyline. When he was eventually printed as a [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=209157 card]], it was laughably underpowered.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=44263 Karona, False God]], who emerges in Onslaught block as a [[PhysicalGod physical manifestation of Dominaria's mana]] formed from the [[FusionDance fusion]] of the powerful and iconic legends [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=106427 Phage the Untouchable]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=106645 Akroma, Angel of Wrath]], is far less useful than she has any right to be as well--so much so that head designer Mark Rosewater [[http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr232 publicly apologized]] for how lame she was:
--->That card is an embarrassment to card design. I actually had zero to do with the card and I'm still embarrassed. We took two iconic beloved cool legends and combined them into a pile of, well a word I'm not allowed to use on this site. Of all the balls dropped with the design of legendary characters, this is one near the top of the list. My humblest apologies.
* ChainLightning:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=201126 Chain Lightning]] itself is an interesting example in that the spell's first target (or the target's owner) gets to choose the next target. As long as each player is willing and able to spend [[ElementalRockPaperScissors red mana]] on the spell, the process repeats itself.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=386478 Arc Lightning]] allows the caster to spread a set amount of damage to multiple targets. The card art shows a lightning bolt arcing from one target to the next.
* ChangelingTale: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=143380 Crib Swap]] exchanges a creature for a 1/1 changeling.
* ChargedAttack: Planeswalker cards. They can use one ability a turn, some of which increase loyalty, while the more powerful ones decrease it, and with very few exceptions, must 'charge' for several turns before they can use their 'ultimate' ability.
* ChekhovsGun:
** You know those useless snow-covered lands from ''Ice Age''? Not so useless as of ''Coldsnap'' -- 11 years later!
** Poison counters. Nearly pointless at first, given a bit more '''oomph''' in ''Future Sight'', then turned into a powerful threat (and plot point!) in ''Scars of Mirrodin''.
** In an example that borders on BrickJoke: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=136151 Steamflogger Boss]] references Riggers and Contraptions, but no other such cards were printed (barring one that was retconned to have the Rigger subtype)... until the ''Unstable'' joke set, which was released '''ten years''' after Steamflogger Boss's debut!
* CherryTapping:
** The entire damage-dealing strategy behind Weenie and Token decks. Attacking with a 1/1 creature/token is about as pitiful as it gets...but when your {{Zerg Rush}}ing with more of them than your opponent has life remaining, it doesn't really matter.
** The interplay of certain decks can lead to this quite easily:
*** One early tournament, before the rule placing a four card limit on everything but basic lands, was won by a player who loaded up his deck with nothing but [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Discussion.aspx?multiverseid=271 Swords to Plowshares]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=166 Llanowar Elves]], Plains, and Forests. Eventually, his opponents would be out of creatures and at a ridiculous life total. Then in went the elves...60...59...58...57...
*** One tournament match had a player with a [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3857 Lord of the Pit]] based deck square off against a player with a [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=83525]] based deck. The Clone player was basically stuck either allowing his opponent to drain his life with direct attacks from Lord of the Pit, or he Clone it, but wouldn't be able to pay it's sacrifice upkeep, and would then be killed by his own cloned Lord of the Pit...
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Starke%20of%20Rath Starke of Rath]]. Merely tapping him allows him to destroy creatures and artifacts...but then he switches to the controller of that permanent's control.
* CirclingVultures: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=4452 Circling Vultures]] is a one black mana 3/2, but requires you to exile the top creature from your graveyard each turn. If you can't, Circling Vultures is destroyed. The idea is that Circling Vultures is feeding on the creature's corpse, and starve to death if there isn't one.
* ClamTrap: A speciality of [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=108816 Giant Oyster]]. It can clamp onto a tapped creature and keep it tapped (which prevents it from doing much) while also slowly killing it by putting a -1/-1 counter it each turn. It can also release the creature, which removes all -1/-1 counters from it. The idea is that the clamped creature slowly drowns, but is able to swim back to the surface for air if released.
* {{Claustrophobia}}: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=235601 Claustrophobia]] is an enchantment which taps a target creature and prevents them from untapping. The idea is that you're trapping the creature in a tiny space.
* ClimacticBattleResurrection:
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=5629 Yawgmoth's Will]] allows you to bring back anything from your graveyard, and potentially ''everything'' if you have the mana required.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=23058 Twilight's Call]] brings back every creature from the graveyard for both players. If you play something like the cheap [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Tormod%27s%20Crypt Tormod's Crypt]] to clear your opponent's graveyard first, this has no downside.
* ClingyCostume: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2787 Living Armor]] and [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=50927 Grafted Wargear]] are artifact equipment which, once applied, cannot be removed without killing the creature.
* ClockworkCreature: "Clockwork" is a common artifact creature type which tend to come in two flavors. One come onto the battlefield with counters, and each time they attack or block, a counter is removed. Once all of the counters are gone, they are sent to the graveyard with the idea being they "unwound" while moving. The other come onto the battlefield with no power but some toughness, and can be "wound up" via tapping or spending mana to add +1 counters.
* CloneByConversion:
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=254133 Essence of the Wild]], once in play, causes any other creatures you play to become copies of it.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=447196 Metamorphic Alteration]] is an enchantment which allows you to turn the enchanted creature into a copy of any other creature. While this main use is to copy the strongest creature on the field, you can also cripple your opponent by turning their strongest creature into a copy of the ''weakest''...
* ClownCarGrave: Common in black decks, with their enchantments giving them option to turn their own creatures into zombies as well as some of their creatures being able to return from death/being cast from the graveyard on their own. For example, it is possible to play something like [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=426789 Doomed Dissenter]], sacrifice it to summon a zombie token, which activates its ability creating another zombie token (which is ''stronger'' than Dissenter itself), then bring it back from the graveyard through one of a plethora of means, giving you three creatures out of one body (and potentially more if you repeat the process).
* CluckingFunny: ''Unglued'' had a lot of fun with chickens, which would be out of place in any normal expansion.
* CollectibleCardGame: TropeMaker, TropeCodifier, and GenrePopularizer.
* ColonyDrop: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=184650 Meteor Shower]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=23193 Meteor Storm]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=134740 Shivan Meteor]]...the list goes on. All are quite effective at killing things.
* ColorCodedItemTiers: It eventually coded the card rarities. Black means common, silver means uncommon, gold means rare, and orange means mythic rare.
* ColorCodedWizardry: The players themselves with their "color" being determined by the primary mana of the deck they're using. [[AliceAndBob Alice]] might be referred to as a "blue/white" player, while Bob is "red/black", and Charlie is "mono-green". The players don't ''usually'' dress exclusively in these colors, however.
* CombatByChampion:
** The "Exalted" keyword ability is based on this idea. It gives power boosts to creatures which attack alone.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=25438 Dueling Grounds]] enforces this. While the enchantment is active, only one creature may attack per turn, and only one creature may block per turn.
** The Archenemy scheme [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=212581 Choose Your Champion]] functions like this, allowing only one of your multiple opponents to cast spells and attack with creatures until your next turn.
* CombatMedic:
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=1971 Combat Medic]] itself is a solely defensive card, able to be used for damage prevention and blocking only.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=39430 Battlefield Medic]] is a creature that can tap in order to prevent damage to other creatures.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=366460 Frontline Medic]] is a creature with more emphasis on the "combat" portion of the trope. If it and two other creatures attack, all are indestructable for that turn. It can also be sacrificed to block an opposing spell.
** Most "Cleric" type creatures qualify, at least Downplaying the trope. Many are associated with damage prevention and life gain.
* CombinedEnergyAttack: Employed in numerous ways:
** Affinity: The card's cheaper for every X you control, where the card has affinity for X. A variant exists with three cards in Urza's Saga where they count a particular card type.
** Domain: There are five basic land types. Control 1, you get an effect of 1. Control 2, you get the effect of 2. Et cetera.
** Spells with Evoke let your creatures combine to help pay the cost of those spells.
** Last Stand (and similar): These cards count the number of a given basic land type. (Last Stand counts all five.)
** Exalted: Like the aforementioned cards, only it only applies when [[CombatByChampion exactly one creature attacks]], and it gets stronger for every other creature.
** Allies: Allies have abilities that activate when an ally comes into play, count your allies, or both.
** "Lords" invert this, granting more power to each creature of the same tribe, or something similar.
* CombiningMecha:
** The four Chimerae of ''Visions'' ([[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3594 Iron-Heart]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3590 Brass-Talon]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3596 Lead-Belly]], and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3605 Tin-Wing]]) emulate the "expansion pack" variety. You can sacrifice one to add its stats and abilities to another Chimera. Amusingly, this includes Changelings and ''Theros'''s biological Chimerae.
** Artifact creatures with the modular ability are 0/0 creatures that enter the battlefield with +1/+1 counters. When they die, they can transfer those counters to another artifact creature to power it up.
* ComebackMechanic:
** The randomness inherent in a shuffled deck of cards provides a natural comeback mechanic when combined with the mana system: it's always possible for your opponent to hit a string of unlucky draws.
** The "Fateful Hour" mechanic gives cards additional, usually powerful, effects which only kick in when their controller has 5 life or less remaining.
* ComMons: A good portion of the historically "[[JokeCharacter bad]]" cards are all Common rarity. Almost all of them are creatures that would have been fair at half their mana cost, and most never see any significant use unless a player is looking for a challenge. That said, many have found new life thanks to the Limited "Booster Draft" tournament format, in which players "draft" new decks from previously unopened booster packs. As "Common" rarity cards make up the bulk of these packs, players have no choice but to try and use them.
* CompetitiveBalance: The elaborate metagame around deck building usually boils down into three broad "rock, paper, scissors" style categories - Aggro, Combo, and Control. Aggro decks establish multiple redudant threats which overwhelm Control decks. Combo decks employ synergistic combinations of cards which are individually inferior to those of the Aggro deck, but combine for greater power. Control decks use defensive strategies (counterspells, removal, blocking, etc.) which tear apart or disrupt the combinations of Combo decks. This metagame is always shifting with an eye toward balance as new sets are released and card mechanics are updated.
* ComplexityAddiction:
** The "Johnny/Jennie" player "psychographic" is defined by this. They are motivated by a desire to see their convoluted deck concept or some AwesomeButImpractical card actually win something, even if picking up a [[BoringButPractical tried-and-true cookie-cutter meta deck]] would have a higher success rate.
** This (referred to as "Complexity Creep") is someting that Wizards actively tries to avert with the cards themselves. The rules needed to deal with thousands of different cards make for an [[DoorStopper imposing document]]. The spiraling increases in complexity put the game at risk of being impossible for any potential customer to understand. To combat this, they created the Type 2 (or Standard) format, which is theoretically immune to complexity creep as only the last two years of cards are allowed, so the complexity relative to older cards doesn't matter.
* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard:
** The boss characters in the ''Duels of the Planeswalkers'' games often have decks that are ''considerably'' stronger than the default characters' decks (most of them can't be unlocked either). [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=214350 Karn]] in particular uses several cards that are outright banned in nearly every format in the physical card game and is capable of killing you on turn 3 in a game where most games tend to go more than 10 turns. If you manage to win against him, it's likely because you got lucky.
** The encounters in ''Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013'' take it even further. Given that the opponents in these games follow a certain pattern, you can expect them to have more than four copies of a card in their deck. In some cases, their decks literally only consist of basic lands and one type of creature card.
* ConfusionFu:
** A common Red tactic. Casting from the top of its library, transforming creatures into other, random creatures, and gaining boosts based on random effects, such as coin flips, are all within the Red aresenal.
** On the metagame level, this is intrinsic to "Rogue" decks. Every deck has certain things it struggles to deal with, so there's a 'sideboard' of 15 cards that can be swapped into the deck between games to help deal with the opponent's deck in any given match. A good Rogue deck user can devastate a tournament by using new strategies that players don't have a way to counter even with their sideboard.
* ConservationOfNinjutsu: In a weird way, the Exalted effect can become this. Cards with exalted give +1/+1 to attacking creature the player controls, but only when it's attacking by itself. Many cards with this ability are mere 1/1s — not very scary by themselves, but get a handful and you can attack with a nice big 10/10 in no time.
* ContinuingIsPainful:
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?name=Lich%27s%20Mirror Lich's Mirror]] effectively allows you to have a fresh start to the game. Emphasis on "you", because however nice the new hand and 20 life is, you've removed ''all'' of your resources from the battlefield. Unless you planned ahead and eliminated your opponent's resources beforehand, expect them to crush you in a couple of turns.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=214350 Karn Liberated]] Inverts the trope. His ultimate ability literally restarts the game. However, instead of causing an endless loop of the same thing, he puts anything he exiled under your control, including other people's creatures, enchantments, artifacts, and so on. If you did a good job of protecting him while he was exiling things, you can end up with anything from a decent advantage to an army that can win the game in one turn.
* ContinuityCavalcade: The ''Time Spiral'' block brought back and/or referenced dozens of old, often famous cards from ''Magic''[='s=] earlier days, including cards and mechanics which had been out of print for years. It's sequel, ''Planar Chaos'', instead focused on alternate universe cards with similar though ultimately different functions. The final set in the block, ''Future Sight'', gave a taste of cards and mechanics which would get much more focus in future blocks.
* ContinuityDrift: as Wizards' understanding of the game is refined, some classic spells are retired and replaced by (generally) less-powerful versions. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=202437 Counterspell]] has been phased out in favor of [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=208217 Cancel]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=234704 Lightning Bolt]] for [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129732 Shock]], and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=202486 Terror]] for [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=247322 Doom Blade]]. (In the case of the final two, it's hard to answer which is strictly worse, because one has versatility and the other permanence.) In some cases this can even result in cards ''moving color''--[[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=201162 Disenchant]] (formerly a signature White spell) to [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=207336 Naturalize]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=221111 Prodigal Sorcerer]] for [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205231 Prodigal Pyromancer]].
* ContinuityNod:
** ''Every'' card from the ''Time Spiral'' set has at least one. Some are obvious, like [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=113528 Wheel of Fate]] revisiting [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=202558 Wheel of Fortune]]; some are downright oblique, like [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=110510 Plated Pegasus]], which combines [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3479 an obscure card from Mirage]] with [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4861 an obscure card from Tempest]].
** The ''Dominaria'' set is an extensive love letter to many of Magic's earlier blocks, and the set's filled with callbacks to earlier sets. [[http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=14629&writer=Craig+Wescoe&articledate=5-11-2018 This article]] lists off some of the more obvious ones.
* CoolGate: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=73559 Door to Nothingness]] takes this form. It is certainly "cool" in that, if you can [[AwesomeButImpractical afford its steep ability cost]], you'll automatically win the game.
* CoolOfRule: Naturally, given the game's strict (though not without the occasional [[LoopholeAbuse loophole to abuse]]) rules, any "outside the box" winning deck can be this. [[https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Hulk_Flash Hulk Flash]], which can grant a ''Turn 0'' win, and [[https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Caw-blade Caw-Blade]], one of the few truly "unbeatable" decks, both qualified. Of course, in order to keep a semblance of competitive balance, the rules are usually changed to ban or restrict cards from such decks once they become dominant.
* CosmeticAward: ''Arena'' has "card style" reward cards given for participating/winning certain low-value/free special events. All these do is alter the artwork on the cards and have no actual in game effect at all. Some of the "differences" in cart art are quite substantial, while in other cases they barely count as differences at all.
* {{Counterspell}}:
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=102 Counterspell]], the TropeNamer, is the oft-reprinted, classic, somewhat infamous yet always iconic, blue mana spell which counters anothers spell. It is the "strictly better" predecessor the functionally identical [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=447184 Cancel]], which costs one more mana.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=383006 Mana Drain]] became an even better version of Counterspell, which not only counters the target spell, but adds its mana cost to your mana pool. Due to the Mana Burn rule in effect at the time of its first printing, this was considered a substantial drawback. However, that rule was removed for ''Magic 2010'', unleashing Mana Drain drawback-free.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370354 Pact of Negation]] allows you to counter a spell for zero mana...on the current turn. Next turn, must pay ''five'' or else lose the game. It sounds like a bad trade, but has become a popular "combo protection" card. You don't have to worry about paying that five mana if your ultimate combo goes off and wins you the game on ''this'' turn...
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=50929 Last Word]] is a counterspell which cannot be countered by other counterspells...expect to see it show it up a lot in any blue vs. blue match.
** Counterspell heavy decks have earned the nickname "Permission Decks" on the metagame level. They are so called because any time an opponent casts a spell, the Permission deck player almost always has the option of countering it, so if they decide it's not worth it, they are granting their opponent "permission" to cast it.
* CowardlySidekick: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=113512 Norin the Wary]] was quoted in several flavor texts as this sort of character before getting his own card with a very appropriate ability - he "runs away" whenever either player does anything. Originally a JokeCharacter, ''Magic'' players characteristically found a way to make him [[LethalJokeCharacter lethal]] by combining him with something that triggers as cretures enter or exit play. Since he's all but guaranteed to enter ''and'' exit every turn, playing him along with something like [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=49528 Confusion in the Ranks]] or [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Purphoros,%20God%20of%20the%20Forge Purphoros, God of the Forge]] makes him legitimately dangerous. And because his ability is so easy to trigger, he is extremely difficult to deal with permanently. (It takes something so situational that most serious players won't be running it, like [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=106657 Pull from Eternity]]. He also makes for a hilarious and frustrating Commander in that format.
* CrackIsCheaper: ''Magic'' is ''expensive''. Prices for tournament-winning, in-print single cards routinely exceed $20, and sometimes even approach/exceed $100. On top of that, the most popular and common tournament formats rotate new sets in and old sets out each year, serving the dual function of keeping the game fresh and keeping Wizards in business selling new cards. Finally, the most expensive ''Magic'' cards, the overpowered legends from the game's early days, can easily sell [[https://successstory.com/spendit/most-expensive-mtg-cards for over $1000]]. A mint condition Black Lotus from the Alpha set sold for a record price of ''[[https://www.polygon.com/2019/3/5/18251623/magic-the-gathering-black-lotus-auction-price $166,100]]'' at auction in March 2019.
* CrazyCatLady: Three cards represent Crazy Squirrel Men: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=12458 Deranged Hermit]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=29987 Nut Collector]], and [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=24672 Squirrel Wrangler]]. Each has the potential to put numerous 1/1 Squirrel tokens into play.
* CreatorCameo: Richard Garfield himself [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74250 has a card]] in ''Unhinged''. Former art director Jeremy Cranford has one too, albeit [[http://magiccards.info/uh/en/11.html less flattering.]]
* CreepyDoll: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Creepy+Doll Creepy Doll]] is a card and a ShoutOut to the trope-naming Music/JonathanCoulton song. Mechanically, it is an indestructable artifact creature which has a 50/50 chance of destroying any creature it damages.
* CripplingOverspecialization: Many combo decks can fall prey to this. Each is generally built to set up one specific combination of cards, but if one of those cards is destroyed, they are left with a sub-par deck. Combo decks are strong vs. "raw power/aggro" decks because comboed cards will dismantle an equal number of individual cards without synergy (even though said cards tend to be stronger individually), and are vulnerable to control decks that systematically block or remove the components of a combo. Extreme examples are more popular among casual players, who don't care nearly as much about a reliable win/lose percentage as about the fact that it's absolutely hilarious to use a finishing attack featuring, for example, an unblockable attacker whose power and toughness grow by a factor of 32 every turn.
* CriticalExistenceFailure: A common adage among players is that the only life point that matters is your last one. It was this revelation that made [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=194977 Necropotence]] decks powerful.
* CriticalStatusBuff:
** The ''Dark Ascension'' expansion has some cards with the Fateful Hour mechanic. These cards have additional effects which activate if you have 5 or less life remaining.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=416752 Near Death Experience]] automatically wins you the game...''if'' you start your turn with exactly one life remaining.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=46617 Avatar of Hope]] is a powerful creature who can be played very cheaply (just two white mana) if you have three or less life remaining.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=425889 Death's Shadow]] is a creature which grows stronger as your life total gets lower. If you have 13 or more, it dies as soon as it is cast. At 12, it is a mere 1/1...get down to just one life, however, and it becomes a 12/12 behemoth that costs just one black mana to cast. And since it is a black mana creature, and black mana has the most cards which trade life points for various, it is easy to set up such a situation.
* CrystalPrison: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3240 Amber Prison]], which "traps" a target permanent and does not allow them to untap.
* CueCardPause: The wording on the card [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=35891 Book Burning]] caused a rules snafu in line with the trope. The first line reads "Unless a player has Book Burning", which could be a clause in itself, leading some players to insert a nonexistent comma between that and the other half of the clause "deal 6 damage to him or her". Some players argued that the card damaged a target player ''and'' did the other clause (put the top 6 cards of their deck into their graveyard) unless they could produce a copy of Book Burning, instead of its actual effect of "milling" 6 unless someone takes 6 damage. The official wording was changed quickly, but that version of the card is the only one that was ever printed...
* CursedWithAwesome: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=247201 Skullclamp]] was originally +1/+2 and "When equipped creature dies, draw two cards." Then it became +1/+1. Then it became +1/-1, meaning you can turn any creature with one toughness into two cards. [[GoneHorriblyRight Players took notice.]]
* CuteIsEvil: PlayedForLaughs with the ''Unglued'' card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=9779 Infernal Spawn of Evil]], along with its sequel from ''Unhinged'', [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=73981 Infernal Spawn of Infernal Spawn of Evil]]. As a bonus, it's also a joke about [[ActorAllusion card artist Ron Spencer only drawing hideous monsters]].
* CuteMachines: Most Myr creatures are cute, miniature artifact creatures. Don't let that fool you however, as most have tap effects which do things like boost your other creatures, give you extra mana, or even directly damage your opponent, making them potentially lethal.
* CuttingTheKnot: The credo of Zvi Mowshowitz, multi-time ''Magic'' tournament winner and hall of famer, fits quite nicely. He tends to live up to it as well, as many of his winning decks have been hyper-aggressive "Aggro" decks, with some of them winning on turn 3 or 4.
--> ''"If brute force doesn't solve your problem, you're not using enough. Why not use more?"''
* CyberneticMythicalBeast: The game is positive ''rife'' with "artifact" versions of mythological creatures. Some notable examples:
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=221103 Dragon Engines]] are the bio-mechanical Phyrexians' answer to classic dragons. Though weaker than virtually any other true dragon, as artifact creatures, they can be powered up with extra mana. [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=433296 Ramos]] is a legendary dragon engine reprogrammed to serve as a protector. It is significantly stronger and can be powered up with +1/+1 counters merely by playing spells. It's ability allows it to exchange five counters for ''two of every mana type''. Very much DifficultButAwesome, as it then allows you to play many otherwise AwesomeButImpractical spells.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=2901 Clockwork Gnomes]] are artifact creatures which can repair other artifact creatures.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=106537 Platinum Angel]] is an artifact angel whose ability prevents you from losing the game while she is in play.
* CyberneticsEatYourSoul:
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159110 Ashnod's Transmogrant]] powers up a target creature by permanently transforming it into an artifact creature.
** ''Unstable''[='s=] Order of the Widget engage in heavy, often ridiculous cybernetics projects. If you've ever wanted to attack someone with a [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=439391 toaster]], now is your chance.
* DamageIncreasingDebuff: Plenty of cards, including [[http://magiccards.info/shm/en/81.html Wound Reflection]] and [[http://magiccards.info/dka/en/85.html Curse of Bloodletting]], which double your opponents' pain.
* DamageOverTime: Several cards deal damage during a player's "Upkeep" step, in contrast to most cards which can only deal damage once at a time.
* DamageReduction: The "Absorb" mechanic allows creatures which have it to simply ignore a certain amount of damage they receive.
* DamageTyping: The game features numerous types, including:
** Normal damage, which is dealt by standard attacking creatures and most direct damage spells, is removed from creatures at the end of the turn as long as it is not lethal.
** Creatures with the "Wither" ability add -1/-1 counters on top of their normal damage. These remain unless cleared by a special effect or ability.
** Creatures with the "Deathtouch" ability automatically destroy any creature they damage, no matter how much damage is done.
** Some creatures and abilities add "Poison" counters to their opponent. If you acquire 10 poison counters, you lose. Early the game's history, this was a fairly useless ability as, unless you built your entire deck around shooting for this win condition, such decks tended to be suboptimal compared to doing straight-up normal damage. Poison became much more effective with the introduction of the "Infect" ability, which causes creatures to deal wither damage to other creatures and poison damage to players.
** Each of the five mana colors can be considered its own damage type, as many cards exist which give you and your creatures protection from damage of certain colors.
* DamnYouMuscleMemory: Slight changes to similarly functioning cards between sets can lead to this effect on the metagame level. For example, plenty of blue players used to saving two mana at the end of their turn so that they can play a [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=413585 Counterspell]] during their opponent's turn only remember too late that the current set features [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?name=Cancel Cancel]] instead, the same effect but requiring one more mana.
* DangerousForbiddenTechnique:
** Applies to quite a few combo decks, especially combos that are CastFromHitPoints. (Channel-Fireball is a good old-school example: you pay all of your life, but the resulting fireball kills your opponent in one shot.) What makes them so dangerous is the likelihood that if they fail to kill the opponent dead then and there, the [[CherryTapping Cherriest of Taps]] will be your doom.
** The aptly named "Suicide Black" decks are the epitome of this trope. Flavor wise, it is the color that most often deals in {{Necromancy}}, BlackMagic, and [[DealWithTheDevil Deals with the Devil]]. Mechanically, these show up as sacrificing creatures, discarding cards, and paying in life points to acquire and/or beef up your other spells. Flooding the field with creatures like [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=397570 Carnophage]] is a staple of such decks. Win quickly, or else your own creatures and spells will drain your life. Wizards has referred to it as "tearing your arm off and beating your opponents to death with it before you bleed out".
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?name=Final%20Fortune Final Fortune]] gives you an extra turn after your current one, but if you fail to win the game by the end of that turn, you automatically lose the game. As ''Magic'' players are wont to do, they quickly found ways to lessen the "danger", such as by playing it with [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Platinum%20Angel Platinum Angel]], who prevents you from losing the game as long as it is in play. Another is [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Sundial%20Of%20The%20Infinite Sundial of the Infinite]], which if you play it during that second turn, exiles Final Fortune and prevents the "turn losing" from happening while you still get the bonus turn.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?name=Demonic%20Pact Demonic Pact]] gives you relatively cheap access to three abilities, which you get to play once each at the start of your upkeep - deal four damage and give you four life, force your opponent to discard two cards, and draw two cards yourself. Each turn, you ''must'' apply one of it's affects. Once you've applied those three, the fourth is "lose the game". Better hope you've won it before then (or have found a way to transfer it to your opponent...)
* DarkestHour:
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=5622 Darkest Hour]] is an enchantment which turns all creatures in play black.
** [[https://media.wizards.com/2017/hou/en_8Dtc89JMF5.png Hour of Devasation]] removes the Indestructable ability from creatures that have it and then proceeds to deal five damage to every creature in play. It can destroy literal gods. The portion of the story from which it gets its flavor is very much in line with the trope.
* DeathOfAThousandCuts: While damage is removed from creatures during each turn's cleanup step, it is possible to destroy a creature with multiple instances of 1 damage over the course of a turn. The same is true of dealing with players or planeswalkers, which don't recover their HitPoints (life and loyalty, respectively) each turn. The card [[http://magiccards.info/sok/en/64.html Death of a Thousand Stings]] references this trope almost verbatim, dealing 1 point of damage per use but recyclable potentially infinitely.
* DeathOrGloryAttack:
** Attacking with all of your creatures in a single turn (referred to by players as an AlphaStrike), especially late in the game. Either you defeat your opponent, or you leave yourself defenseless.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370354 Pact of Negation]] is a zero mana instant which acts as a {{Counterspell}}. However, on your next turn, you must pay ''five'' mana or lose the game. It sounds like a bad deal, but it has become a popular blue "combo protector". You won't have to worry about paying that mana if your ultimate combo goes off and wins you the game on ''this'' turn...
* DefeatMeansPlayable: In each edition of Duels Of The Planeswalkers, you unlock each deck by defeating an AI opponent using it in campaign mode, except two starting decks.
* DefendCommand: [[https://magiccards.info/nph/en/34.html Defensive Stance]], an enchantment which adds -1/+1 to the target creature.
* DenserAndWackier: Elder Dragon Highlander AKA Commander, as compared to Standard and the Eternal formats. This is defined almost entirely through card count limits. In most formats, the minimum size of your deck -- and, for the sake of efficiency, the ''maxiumum'' size of your deck -- is 60 cards, and you can have up to 4 copies of anything that isn't a basic land. Therefore, a deck can be 24 lands and (4 copies of) ''nine'' spells; and if your deck relies on one of those spells to work, you have about a 50% chance of getting it in your opening hand. Commander, on the other hand, is 100 minimum deck size and ''only one copy'' of any non-basic-land card (hence "Highlander" -- "[[TagLine There can be only one]]").[[labelnote:So why "Elder Dragon"?]]The "Elder Dragon" part is what is today called the "Commander" -- a single Legendary creature whom you can cast at all times, and whose color identity determines which colors you can use in your deck. Originally, this Commander could only be one of the five Elder Dragons from the "Legends" expansion, but this rule was dropped for greater gameplay freedom.[[/labelnote]] As a result, the format is more of a bells-and-whistles-and-the-kitchen-sink experience, where games take longer and silly things are more likely to happen.
* DependingOnTheWriter: Or rather, Depending On The Design Team. For entire sets. The company is always struggling to deal with GameplayAndStorySegregation, and exactly how the game is supposed to represent an actual wizards' duel. At the moment they seem to have settled on a balance the company likes, but it still changes a little with every new set, partly as they iron out tiny details and partly as another potential way to add variety to the game. A few examples of the ways this goes back and forth:
** Early in the game, many big blue creatures (like [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3939 Sea Serpents]]) could attack players that didn't control any islands only with difficulty, if at all, to symbolize that they were natural aquatic monsters and therefore couldn't leave the water. That effect still appears occasionally, but is much rarer now, partly because designers have decided it's less fun to have creatures with such severe restrictions on attacking and partly because the idea that lands actually represent physical terrain on which creatures are fighting [[VoodooShark raises more questions than it answers]]. (For a time, ''Merfolk'' were taken out of the game for this flavor reason, until they decided to use [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent the Fredericka Bimm Method of merfolk shapeshifting]].)
** Creature types have come and gone and been standardized several times. At the moment, humans are the JackOfAllStats: represented more or less equally in all colors, but with no Human-specific racial bonuses. Most colors have one characteristic race[[note]]Merfolk for blue, zombies and vampires for black, goblins for red, and elves for green[[/note]] full of small, cheap, quick and/or utility creatures, each color has one iconic race[[note]]Angels for white, sphinxes for blue, demons for black, dragons for red, and hydras for green[[/note]], and a few other creature types are much more common in one or two colors than the rest. The thing is, this leaves many creature types from fantasy stories or previous Magic sets unused just because that design space is already taken. Orcs, for example, appeared in early sets, but they eventually fell into the niche of "like goblins, just a little taller" and stopped being used soon after that. Merfolk didn't appear for a long time for the same reason that sea monsters' inherent weakness was dropped, but as soon as designers figured out that they could be bipedal — sort of like FishPeople, but not as ugly — they were brought back.
* DePower: Numerous cards exist which weaken creatures and/or remove their abilities. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=HUMILITY Humility]] is an especially notable one, as it reduces all creatures to 1/1 and strips their abilities.
* DifficultButAwesome: Combo decks, especially ones you've devised yourself. They can very easily be hampered by CripplingOverspecialization if something goes wrong, but if it works out, you can expect a quick and decisive victory.
* DiscardAndDraw: the TropeNamer. Many effects cause you to both draw and discard cards.
* DiscOneNuke: Throughout the game's history, cards like [[http://magiccards.info/us/en/330.html Tolarian Academy]], [[http://magiccards.info/cmd/en/261.html Sol Ring]], and [[http://magiccards.info/cedi/en/234.html Black Lotus]] that allow you to play other, more powerful spells in the early turns have been consistently dominant, comprising a large portion of the game's banned cards.
* DispelMagic: "Disenchanting" (destroying enchantments and artifacts) is a standard effect seen often on green and white spells. Just about every expansion has a [[http://magiccards.info/m15/en/185.html Naturalize]] and [[http://magiccards.info/m12/en/13.html Demystify]] variant.
* DittoFighter: A standard ability often seen with the Shapeshifter creature type.
* DoppelgangerAttack: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=130588 Nacatl War-Pride]], which when it attacks makes a temporary copy of itself for each creature the defending player controls.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: ''Alpha'' and the first few expansions contained...
** ...some truly bizarre mechanics that either weren't followed up upon or were dropped early. Examples include [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=603 flipping cards over in the air]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=813 dividing creatures into two different groups that can't ever meet]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=980 subgames]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1147 playing for ante]].
** ...cards with effects which are now considered uncharacteristic of their color, such as [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=108812 blue direct damage]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=957 red damage prevention]].
** ...issues with balance; cards tended to be either [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=692 insanely powerful]] or [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1345 extremely weak]].
** ...[[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=202586 rather informal wording]] which seems strange when contrasted with modern cards.
** ...cards based on {{Public Domain Character}}s and stories, with flavour text quoting things like Literature/TheBible or Creator/WilliamShakespeare plays, as opposed to creating an original story and basing the cards around that. Even the first expansion was based entirely off of characters and themes from ''Literature/ArabianNights''.
* ElephantGraveyard: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=988 Is a card]]. Ironically, [[InvertedTrope it keeps them from dying]].
* ElementalRockPaperScissors: The Color Wheel is probably the most well-known non-traditional version in gaming.
* EmpoweredBadassNormal: The card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=130614 Muraganda Petroglyphs]] from the "Future Sight" expansion grants a large bonus to [[BadassNormal creatures without abilities]]. Also shown by the power creep in cards such as [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=249368 Woolly Thoctar]], a 5/4 for a mere 3 mana.[[note]]That's partially balanced by each of those 3 mana being of a different color; the only deck that can play this card at ''any'' time, much less on Turn 3, is one that was designed specifically to do so.[[/note]]
* EnergyBall: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=191393 Ball Lightning]] is an interesting example in that it's actually a ''creature'', but plays more like a spell. It has both [[LightningBruiser trample and haste]], which allows it to hit ''hard'' with its 6 power on the turn you play and the damage can't be negated with a chump block. However, [[GlassCannon it has only one toughness]], and even if it survives its attack, it is sacrificed at the start of your next turn.
* EquippableAlly: Many cases:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?name=Artillerize Artillerize]] involves basically turning a creature into a missile (in-game, this translates as sacrificing a creature to fuel a direct-damage spell).
** Another way to invoke this trope involves [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=218055 Bludgeon Brawl]], which causes all non-creature artifacts to be treated as equipment. When combined with [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=212709 Liquimetal Coating]], which turns a non-artifact permanent into an artifact, it's possible for a creature to literally pick up a [[PhysicalGod Planeswalker]] and smash things with him/her.
** There's also the Living Weapon mechanic from the ''Scars of Mirrodin'' block, where Equipment cards with the ability enter the battlefield already attached to a newly-created 0/0 Germ token. Moving the Equipment "kills" it (that is, causes the Germ token attached to it to die). With the current policy that creatures can't be Equipment, this mechanic is the closest we're likely to get.
** The Theros block, based on Myth/ClassicalMythology, has introduced the "Bestow" mechanic. Creatures with Bestow can be "hard-cast" as {{mooks}}, ''or'' bestowed as a StatusBuff on a pre-existing mook, who gains the bestow-creature's power, toughness and abilities. This can result in a totem-pole of enchantments riding around on a single creature. And, if that creature is killed, all the bestow guys "fall off" and [[AsteroidsMonster become creatures in their own right]].
* EquivalentExchange: A key part of the game, every spell you cast or ability you activate has some sort of exchange going on. Even the most simple of cards require you to generate mana and fill precious deck slots with the given cards to work. Some more elaborate spells ask for more tangible costs such as [[CastFromHitPoints life payments]], discarding cards, or sacrificing permanents. Most of the game's problems have come from cards doing far more in return for what you paid for them...
* EverythingsBetterWithPenguins: ''Unhinged'' brings us the rather unusual [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=73956 Curse of the Fire Penguin]], which turns a creature into a penguin. And it's contagious.
* EvilCounterpart:
** The entire ''Shadowmoor'' block is this to the preceding ''Lorwyn'' block. As a result, several cards from the former are darker versions of cards from the latter (as an example, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=147433 Incremental Blight]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=146777 Incremental Growth]]).
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=229965 Evil Twin]] copies a creature on the battlefield and has the ability to kill the original.
* EvilPlan: The casual format "Archenemy" has one player as the, well, [[EvilOverlord Archenemy]] who sets [[EvilPlan Schemes]] in motion, against a coalition of players.
* ExactWords: The game practically runs on this trope. Many rules depend on exactly how things are worded, and slight changes will completely change the effect of the card. Expect tons of LoopholeAbuse if the wording on the card is vague enough to be open to any sort of interpretation.
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin:
** The enchantment cards [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Fear Fear]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Lifelink Lifelink]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Vigilance Vigilance]], and [[http://magiccards.info/m10/en/17.html Indestructibility]] give the enchanted creature the abilities ''Fear'', ''Lifelink'', ''Vigilance'', and ''Indestructible'', respectively.
** Fear is a special case, as the ability was originally unnamed -- when the designers decided to create a keyword for the common "this creature can only be blocked by artifact and/or black creatures" ability, they named it after the original card that granted the ability.
* ExpansionPack: Each set is an expansion to the ever-widening game, though each block can be played independently as well. Within a block, each subsequent set is an expansion to the first.
* ExponentialPotential: With over 10,000 unique spells/permanents to use in deckbuilding, and new ones created every time a new Expansion Set is released, there's always some new spell or permanent that does something unique to change the face of the metagame, whether overtly like a Power card, or subtly like some of the more common-yet-effective cards.
* FactionCalculus: The allied color pairs can be fitted into five factions rather neatly:
** '''White-blue''' is the Powerhouse. Among the allied color pairs, it's the one most inclined towards Control, a strategy that focuses on slowing the game down and not summoning units or attacking until mid to late game. Moreover, the units these decks do summon tend to look like what would be called "elite" in other games: since the units these decks use are few in numbers, the said units are usually either large or hard to stop, often both;
** '''Blue-black''' is the Subversive. They're the colors most associated with evasive creatures, and they're also the sole colors capable of messing with their opponents' hands and libraries. As a result, they are able to undermine their opponents' plans in ways that no other color can;
** '''Black-red''' is the Glass Cannon. They're the colors that frequently power up their spells and abilities via paying life or sacrificing stuffs. This gives them incredible firepower at times, but the fact that their spells and abilities often damage themselves can markedly reduce their longevity;
** '''Red-green''' is the Horde in a sense. They're the color combo that favors Aggro the most: Aggro can be summed up as a strategy where the player just says "I'll throw all of my spells and creatures out as quickly as possible and overwhelm my opponent. This will probably screw up my late games, but whatever." Because of this, they tend to lose if they fail to leave their opponents dead (or at least close to dead) within the first five turns;
** '''Green-white''', situated between White-blue and Red-green, is the Balanced. They tend to put out lots of creatures, and have many spells and enchantments that buff or protect those creatures. They can't go fast like Red-green, but are certainly nowhere as sluggish as White-blue. There's a reason why mid-range decks are so strongly associated with these two colors.
** Each enemy color pair, meanwhile, tends to in some way resemble the allied color pair that opposes its shared ally, but does what the said allied color pair does in a different way:
*** '''White-black''' has blue as their common ally, and tends to be like blue - slow and subversive. Being the faction pair with some of the strongest lifegain also allows them to establish a GradualGrinder style by way of LifeDrain effects. It ''can'' be aggressive like Red-green, but while Red-green goes Aggro via lots of damaging spells (Red) and creature pumps (Green), White-black goes aggressive... mainly via ''Weenie'', a strategy that involves summoning lots of small creatures to overwhelm opponents.
*** '''Blue-red''' has black as their common ally, and is often subversive and cannon-ish. Much like Green-white, it can go Balanced and play the game of "let's focus on putting my stuffs onto the board and protect/buff them". For Green-white, the "stuffs" in question are usually creatures and supportive enchantments, while for Blue-red, the "stuffs" tend to be weak creatures (that have good abilities) plus artifacts backed with spells, and often with the goal to set off unstoppable combos.
*** '''Black-green''' has red as their common ally. Like red, it's often self-destructive and overly aggressive, which tends to result in lots of its cards ending up in the graveyard very quickly. Unlike red (and like White-blue), it ''is'' capable of a good Powerhouse strategy... since they're the colors most able to exploit the cards that got sent to the graveyard earlier, not to mention all the black or green creatures that grow as their controller gets more cards in graveyard.
*** '''Red-white''' has green as their common ally. It, utterly unlike Blue-black, loves combat (while blue and black prefer to just bypass defense using their evasive abilities). Unlike green, who prefers to pump up its creatures' stats to overpower its opponents, Red-white favors combat tricks: It's no coincidence that first strike is mainly a red-white ability. Of course, red and white both seem to have a love for equipment...
*** '''Green-blue''' has white as their common ally. It is, in a way, much like Black-red, having a lot of powerful units and effects (for starters, green and blue are the colors that, on average, have the most oversized creatures). But while Black-red prefers to access its powerful things by paying its life and sacrificing stuffs, Green-blue accesses its powerful things using green's ability to gain extra mana and blue's ability to draw extra cards. Result? Green-blue has access to spells and abilities powerful like Black-red's, but unlike Black-red, it doesn't cut its own arm off while accessing them. To be fair, Black-red is amazing at removal, while Green-blue is often too busy getting mana and drawing cards, not to mention it doesn't have as many removal options to begin with.
* FakeBalance: An ongoing issue for the series since its very inception. To note:
** "Balance by Rarity" was the initial plan for the series. When the game was first released, it was known that cards such as Black Lotus, Ancestral Recall, Timetwister, and the Moxes were game-breakingly powerful if present in sufficient quantities. However, they believed that since most players would only buy a starter deck and a couple of boosters, their power would never become an issue. This is especially evident when you look at the initial deck construction rules: 40-card minimum for decks, and no maximum for any individual cards. The deck of nothing but Black Lotus/Channel/Fireball was 100% legal, and that's not even the most powerful deck you could build. Constructed tournament later evolved to have a 60 card minimum limit and a maximum of 4 individual non-land cards, thus effectively removing the fake balance.
** Modern ''Magic'' still has balance by rarity as a rarity level above rare, called mythic rare, was added in the Shards of Alara expansion. It should be noted that rarity balance exists in limited formats, such as booster draft and sealed deck, where certain powerful cards could easily help the player to win but they may well not get one of these cards, let alone multiple copies, but does not exist in constructed play where people will [[SeriousBusiness spend whatever it takes to win]].
** In limited formats, there is the ''[[http://www.essentialmagic.com/em2/Doc.aspx?hdocid=239 BREAD]]'' principle, which describes what card to draft - Bombs, Removal, Evasion, Advantage, and Dregs. While Removal, Evasion, Advantage, and Dregs cards are available in every rarity, Bombs are usually in the rare slot. A deck with a good amount of bomb and removal cards usually has a considerable upper hand. Whether a player obtained those cards by luck or by skills is something that is often discussed in [=MTG=] boards. Large amounts of removal can make up for a lack of bombs by ensuring you can always get rid of whatever overpowering creature is thrown out by your opponent. The greatest of bombs tend to be cards which are immune to removal, either non-creatures which thus naturally evade anti-creature removal spells, creatures which are somehow immune to removal due to protection, shroud, regeneration, or similar effects, or bombs which act as removal themselves. On occasion, some uncommons can be bombs as well, the most common example being spells which deal X damage to target creature or player, making them both removal and potentially capable of finishing off an opponent in the late game out of nowhere; Fireball is perhaps the most infamous such example, due to its ability to split up its damage, allowing it to act as mass removal as well.
** A cause of "Situational Advantage" also frequently arises. As cards "rotate" (new ones are printed, older made illegal in most common formats) for a good portion of environments, there will arise one or two "tier 1" decks that prompt development of counter-decks aimed to specifically hurt those dominants. Said rogue decks are less powerful overall, so any (semicompetent) deck but the dominant actually has a good chance against it - but will likely fall to the tier 1. The resulting rock-paper-scissors deck choice process is known as metagaming.
** The "Luck-Based" balance gets a bit worse when one considers cards like Enlightened Tutor, which lets you reshuffle your deck, with the artifact or enchantment of your choice on top. When you consider that many of the big game breakers are artifacts or enchantments, and Enlightened Tutor costs one white mana and can be played just before you draw, yeah. Enlightened Tutor, by the way, is legal in Legacy.
** Early [=MTG=] was characterized by overestimating the power of creatures. Because, naturally, you had to kill people with creatures, it was assumed they would be the dominant force in the card game. Because of this, creatures were relatively overcosted, meaning that in the earliest "fair" tournaments (that is, cards printed with "organized card game" as opposed to "limited product experiment" in mind), "control" decks, which featured heavy counter-spells and removal, all of which cost much less mana than the creatures they destroyed, dominated the game.
** Another infamous case of "Underestimated Power" occurred when players realized that no matter how much life they lost, they could still win as [[CriticalExistenceFailure long as they didn't hit 0]]. Enter [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=NECROPOTENCE Necropotence]]. When they designed this card, they thought that players would value their each life point they had and was expected that you'd balance out the life loss with life-gaining cards, never overuse them. Players, on the other hand, realized that 1 life for 1 card is a hilariously good trade, especially since you could use Necropotence's ability indefinitely and draw an obscene amount of cards, digging out complex combos whose lack of consistency (due to needing to draw them one by one) was their only real flaw. Wizards has since learned from this and any subsequent cards that gave you draws had either obscene mana costs, required some other cost (such as sacrificing creatures), or could only give you one extra card per turn. Life payments in general has seen a massive decrease in the stuff they allow you to do, as any effect that is triggered by them is also usually tied to some other cost (mana, sacrifices, or discards) or generally are not that game-changing.
** The power of drawing cards and free mana were also comically "Underestimated" in early game design. For Drawing, Wizards originally released a cycle (a set of 5 cards with an overarching theme across all five colors) called "boons" that granted you 3 things for the cost of 1 mana. The blue one gave you 3 draws while the others only did damage, buff creatures, a little extra mana, or gave life. To this day, Ancestral Recall (the blue boon) remains the only one to have never been reprinted and is part of the infamous Power Nine. As for free mana, the most well known example is the Black Lotus, but even attempts at balancing it have been met with failure; Lion's Eye Diamond, a heavily {{Nerf}}ed version of the Black Lotus that was considered completely unusable due to making you discard your entire hand, was still heavily restricted in the formats where it was legal. Wizards has since given up trying to make a balanced version of the thing.
* FakeUltimateMook:
** Anything really big has AwesomeButImpractical written all over it, though this just makes for players finding ways to cheaply get it into play (AnimateDead is popular method).
** Mana cost aside, there are numerous ways of having a creature turn into this. Many potentially powerful creatures are ruined by drawbacks like echo (pay their casting cost again on the turn after you play them or sacrifice them), cumulative upkeep (pay an increasing cost every turn or sacrifice them), and many, many more.
** Creatures also have the built-in disadvantage of being killable. Most creatures, whether they cost one mana or nine, can be killed with a removal spell that only costs two or three mana. This is why the most successful creatures in ''Magic'' are either relatively cheap, resistant to removal, or have an impact on the board even if they're killed right away.
** There are also creatures that have intimidating-looking ''art'' but are subpar in terms of stats. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129591 Hill Giant]] is a good example.
** A zig-zagged example is [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?printed=true&multiverseid=2182 Segovian Leviathan]], a card whose artwork shows it being [[RentAZilla so large,]] its eyes dwarf nearby ''whales''. Its statline? 3/3, the same as [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=201843 a mundane elephant]] and completely unremarkable, especially compared to most Leviathans. A later expansion would reveal that, in fact, Segovia is [[{{Lilliputians}} about 1/100 the size of most planes]], and the Segovian Leviathan is indeed roughly the same size as an elephant - it only looks big because it's next to whales the size of goldfish.
* FanNickname: {{Lampshaded}}. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Morphling Morphling]] earned the nickname "Superman" for its high power level at the time. So when the designers made an enchantment that could give Morhpling's abilities to any of your creatures, they called it [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?id=43581 Pemmin's Aura]]--an [[SignificantAnagram anagram]] for "I am Superman."
%% Non-lampshaded fan nicknames can be found on the Trivia subpage.
* FanSpeak: Magic players have created an extensive vocabulary of slang terms and technical jargon. [[UsefulNotes/MagicTheGathering This]] Useful Notes pages has some examples.
* FastballSpecial:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=279856 Stone Giant]], among others, can be tapped to hurl a creature into the air to attack your opponent directly or block an enemy flyer. This is generally not a survivable experience for the creature.
** This is the entire concept behind [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=426834 Fling]] and similar cards.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=439511 Slaying Mantis]] combines this with a DynamicEntry as ''you'' throw it onto the battlefield from at least 3 feet away. Any enemy creature it touches on the way down, it fights -- potentially a suicide mission, but it can really make a dent on a crowded board.
* FieldPowerEffect: Dozens of such spells which boost and debuff creatures, most often based on color or creature type.
* FiendishFish:
** Fish are a distinct creature type in-game, and many grow huge and monstrous -- the [[https://scryfall.com/card/leg/50/devouring-deep Devouring Deep]], Dandan and [[https://scryfall.com/card/xln/57/fleet-swallower Fleet Swallower]] are al good examples of this.
--->''"Catch good today. Start replacing crew tomorrow."'' '''Faysal al-Mousa, fisher captain''', FlavorText for Dandan.
** While leviathans -- some of the largest monsters in the seas -- are a distinct creature type, some, such as [[https://scryfall.com/card/war/58/kioras-dambreaker Kiora's Dambreaker]] and the [[https://scryfall.com/card/m15/80/stormtide-leviathan Stormtide Leviathan]], resemble monstrous fish of immense size.
* FightLikeACardPlayer: As the cards basically represent spells and actions in wizard duels.
* {{Fireballs}}: The ''iconic'' [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=221550 red direct damage card]]. It has been reprinted in some form in most sets and was part of one of ''Magic''[='s=] earliest game-breaker combos - the CastFromHitPoints based [[https://www.mtgvault.com/superdave644/decks/channel-fireball/ Channel Fireball]] Deck.
* FlavorText: Famous for it.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=391905 Renowned Weaponsmith]] has an ability that references two specific other cards from the ''Tarkir'' block. At the time of release (''Fate Reforged'' was in between ''Khans of Tarkir'' and ''Dragons of Tarkir''), Vial of Dragonfire didn't even exist.
* FragileSpeedster: Some "weenie" decks, particularly Green Weenies. ZergRush your opponent to win quickly or else bear witness to how fragile your deck really is.
* FreakyFridayFlip: Some spells and abilities can inflict this effect, exchanging players' cards-in-hand, permanents-in-play, or even life totals, the last one being a popular trick in combo decks.
* GambitPileup: Due to the nature of the stack, players can find themselves fighting a mini battle in which they're undoing each other's move, for example:
-->'''Player 1:''' Shock on Player 2's [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220179 Merfolk Looter]].\\
'''Player 2:''' [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=265715 Unsummon]] on Player 2's Merfolk Looter.\\
'''Player 1:''' [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=185820 Counterspell]] on Player 2's Unsummon.\\
'''Player 2:''' Counterspell on Player 1's Shock.\\
'''Player 1:''' Counterspell on Player 2's Counterspell.
::: And so on. If they do this by piling the cards onto each other (or playing online), then the trope is being played literally.
* GameBreaker: {{Invoked}}. %%NOTE TO EDITORS: Yes, there is a separate page for GameBreaker/MagicTheGathering, but please DON'T link to it here, as the examples on it are subjective. You can find it linked on the YMMV subpage. The section on this page is for IN-UNIVERSE and PLAYED WITH examples only.
** {{Lampshaded}} on [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=32237 Deep Analysis]], whose art depicts the famously powerful (in its heyday) [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=13087 Masticore]] with the flavor text "The specimen seems to be broken."
** {{Exploited}} with "From The Vault: Exiled", a boxed set of specially-foiled versions of famous {{Game Breaker}}s.
* GameLobby: ''Magic The Gathering Online'' works with a lobby. Since it's relatively popular, and only up to two players can play a single game (so far), this is a pretty good way to work.
* GameplayAndStoryIntegration:
** Early sets tried to enforce this to a degree with mechanics such as islandhome, which stopped sea-based creatures from attacking opponents who don't control an island, and causing them to cease to exist if their controller controls no islands.
** The evolution of block and block design has also begun to reflect this. Later blocks may introduce new mechanics ([[DesperationAttack Fateful Hour]]) to reflect the plot (FromBadToWorse), or for that matter remove them (Devotion going largely absent from the third Theros set to reflect {{muggles}}' growing disaffection with their pantheon of gods). Heck, "Rise of the Eldrazi" completely changed the environment and is intended to be drafted as a stand-alone set!
* GameplayAndStorySegregation:
** Islandhome is gone. First off, they decided they didn't want it keyworded and would prefer just to spell out the sentences. Secondly, it was a rather clumsy and unpopular mechanic, and Wizards' current policy is to ignore moments of FridgeLogic in favour of gameplay. (After all, [[AWizardDidIt you are a wizard!]])
** Another common example are Equipments, a subtype of Artifacts that can be, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin equipped]] to your creatures. Sometimes it works well, but at others it results in humongous axes being wielded by a little bird, or a creature wading into battle wearing a chair, or magical armor being worn by a ''tree''. Indeed, under the right circumstances you can put Cranial Plating on a mountain.
* GatheringSteam: Under normal circumstances, each player is only allowed to play a single Land card per turn, and your most powerful spells might even take multiple combinations of multiple mana to perform.
* GlassCannon:
** Many combo decks, as well as many linearly-focused decks like the Affinity deck of the ''Mirrodin'' era, are incredibly powerful if the opponent has no way to interact with them, but vulnerable to being completely shut down by a single "hoser" card that can disrupt them in the proper way.
** Lots of creatures have large power, but only one toughness. There's also a literal [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=83719 Glass Golem]]. (While not exactly one toughness, most direct damage cards deal 2 or more damage, and it's not uncommon to see a 1 mana creature have enough attack to take a Glass Golem down)
* GlorySeeker: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=222736 Is a card.]]
* GodsNeedPrayerBadly: The Gods of ''Theros'' block only unleash their full power as long as you maintain sufficient "devotion" to that God's colors.
* GoldenSnitch: Alternate win condition cards can be sprung without warning. Even decking can be considered this, if the winner was at 1 life and the loser was at a whole lot more. Many of these alternate wins are hilariously impractical and for all the time and resources you spend setting one up it's usually just easier to win the old-fashioned way, but RuleOfCool means people love these things anyway and will often bend over backwards to pull one off. A partial list of individual cards that create alternate win conditions can be seen below under InstantWinCondition.
* GradualGrinder:
** Many, many decks use this method to win, much to the dismay of players forced to sit there and slowly get whittled.
** A less "meta" example is the Orzhov guild from ''Ravnica'' block, whose primary strategy is to gradually "bleed" the opponent by combining lifegain effects with repeatable incremental damage.
* {{Griefer}}: The ''New Phyrexia'' expansion was [[IntendedAudienceReaction intentionally designed with Griefing in mind]], and contains many cards that are intended to make your opponent feel bad. For example, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=247341 Shattered Angel]] takes something they normally feel happy about (getting more mana) and makes them feel bad about it (by making you gain life every time they play a land); there's a similar dynamic with cards like [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=214063 Consecrated Sphinx]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=217981 Suture Priest]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=233067 Invader Parasite]], and so on.\\
\\
And while most sets have spells that kill or disable your opponent's stuff, in ''New Phyrexia'' they have added effects that rub your victory in their face, as with [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=218040 Numbing Dose]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=227549 Victorious Destruction]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=218016 Psychic Barrier]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=194171 Glissa's Scorn]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=233060 Enslave]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=214384 Phyrexian Ingester]], etc.\\
\\
Or, as development team member Tom [=LaPille=] [[http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/ld/140 puts it]]:
-->Our vision of ''New Phyrexia''--as created by Aaron Forsythe and Ken Nagle, the two players in R&D with the strongest griefing tendencies--is one of all-upside [[{{Griefer}} griefing]] that leaves your opponent not knowing what they're supposed to do and feeling a little bit violated. Phyrexia doesn't destroy all the creatures on the battlefield; it destroys all the creatures on the battlefield and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Life%27s%20Finale rips some out of your library to boot]]. Phyrexia doesn't just exile a permanent. It [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Exclusion%20Ritual disallows the opponent from casting every other copy]].
* HealingPotion: Life gaining effects frequently take the form of positions or elixirs. Examples include the [[https://magiccards.info/5e/en/279.html Alabaster Potion]] and the [[https://magiccards.info/mr/en/265.html Elixir of Vitality]].
* {{Hellfire}}:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=201141 Hellfire]] itself is a card. It wipes out all non-black creatures (being a black spell, it's assumed that most if not all of your own creatures will be exempt) [[CastFromHitPoints at a price]].
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=189229 Demonfire]] is in the same vein. If it kills a creature, that creature is rendered DeaderThanDead.
* HeroicRROD: Cards like [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=382865 Berserk]], which make a creature stronger for one turn, then destroy it at the end of that turn.
* HistoryRepeats: Literal example in the ''Time Spiral'' block, which brought back lots of old cards and themes as part of its "time" gimmick.
* HitPoints:
** 20 for each player to start, though it can get very low, very high, and some cards even let the player [[{{Determinator}} keep going]] [[OnlyMostlyDead with 0 or less]].
** Creatures have these in the form of toughness, which resets each turn as long as they take less-than-fatal damage.
** Planeswalkers have Loyalty points which work a lot like the player's hit points.
* HiveMind:
** The sliver race. Slivers don't just have Haste, their abilities generally read like "All Slivers have Haste"; there is at least one sliver for every ability with a name and even some slivers with no ability, they just exploit others'. Naturally there was also the [[HiveQueen Sliver]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=5233 Queen]], to which succeeded the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=45166 Sliver Overlord]], to which succeeded the HiveMind itself, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?id=136146 with its newfound consciousness]].
** The Selesnya Conclave apparently also has a weak Hive Mind of some sorts. Hinted at by the Convoke mechanic.
** The [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=190556 Hive Mind]] card causes players to share spells.
* HolyHandGrenade: A signature of white mana. To note:
** The creators went full blown [[Literature/TheBible Old Testament]] when it comes to white direct damage and mass removal. To note some specific examples:
*** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?printed=true&multiverseid=1809 Fire and Brimstone]] deals equal damage to both players.
*** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=441994 Armageddon]] destroys all lands.
*** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129808 Wrath of God]] destroys all creatures.
** Several white "spot removal" spells also qualify, such as [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=383224 Devouring Light]] (which exiles a target creature) and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=366456 Smite]] (which destroys an attacking creature when it is blocked). The card art really drives the connection home.
* {{Homage}}:
** The subjects of the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=29945 Repentant Vampire]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=28755 Gallantry]] cards from ''Odyssey'' are ''Series/{{Angel}}'' and ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', respectively.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4737 Time Warp]] has the flavor text "[[Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow Let's do it again!]]"
** The ''entirety'' of Theros, based as it is on Myth/ClassicalMythology.
* HouseRules: If you can imagine it, someone somewhere has likely tried it. Some of the more popular house rules have even been elevated to official status, such as rules governing games involving more than two players at a time.
* ImAHumanitarian:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=222903 Village Cannibals]], a Human creature which gets a +1/+1 counter when another Human creature dies, "eating" their corpse.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=6092 Spike Cannibal]], which eats all the other Spikes when it enters the battlefield.
* ImprobablePowerDiscrepancy: Countless examples with respect to a creature's stats being disproportionately high or low in relation to other cards. To note a few specific examples:
** The simple [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129596 Horseshoe Crab]] is a 1/3 creature. Compare that to the 1/1 [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=221892 Llanowar Elves]] (armed and trained elven warriors) or [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=10537 Yellow Scarves Cavalry]] (an entire cavalry regiment).
** The 1/1 [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=373578 Akroan Crusader]], essentially a generic soldier of AncientGrome, would be destroyed by [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=sanctuary%20cat Sanctuary Cat]], a 1/2 simple ''house cat''.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=373512 Traveling Philosopher]], an explicitly non-magical human advisor, has the same power and toughness as a ''[[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Discussion.aspx?multiverseid=129586 Grizzly Bear]]''.
* ImprovisedWeapon: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=218055 Bludgeon Brawl]] allows your creatures to use any non-creature artifact as improvised weapons.
* IncreasinglyLethalEnemy:
** Since as a game goes on players tend to have more and more mana, cards with activated abilities that only require mana can become problematic if the game drags on. A common example are shades, which can be pumped for mana.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=253670 Primordial Hydra]] has power and toughness that double every turn, and after it has been on the field long enough to get 10 power, it has trample, making it impossible to chump block.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=420771 Kalonian Hydra]] doubles the number of +1/+1 counters on it and every other creature you control whenever it attacks, potentially applying this trope to your entire board if it keeps attacking unhindered.
* InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons: One of the unwritten rules of ''Magic'' expansions is that there ''must'' be dragons in every set. Even in ''Ravnica'', where dragons are extinct, there's dragons anyway. Why? Because dragons are awesome.
* InstantWinCondition:
** While there's plenty of combos and such that can win in one good punch, there's [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=o%3A%22you+win+the+game%22 a fair amount of individual cards]] that provide you with alternate win conditions.
** "Decking" is the original instant win condition. If a player must draw a card but has an empty library, they lose. Under most circumstances, this is harder to accomplish than simply getting your opponent's life to 0, so "decking" is a rare occurrence. However, there are plenty of ways to set up your deck to deliberately cause this for your opponent (a tactic generally known as "milling"). Cards such as [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=millstone Millstone]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=197129 Halimar Excavator]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193441 Rise of the Eldrazi's Keening Stone]], and any other Ally card are all useful unless your opponent has a card that allows them to shuffle their graveyard back into their hand. (Even if they do, the original [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=109694 Feldon's Cane]] has to be exiled from the game after use, and the fancy mythic rare Eldrazi that can do this for free are, well, mythic rare.)
* {{Intangibility}}:
** Creatures with the "shadow" keyword. In function, they can only block and be blocked by other creatures with shadow.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=158752 Turn to Mist]] is a spell which causes a temporary version of this to an attacking creatures. The creature is exiled and returned to play on its controller's next turn.
* IntentionallyAwkwardTitle: The name of the game itself. You can either call it "Magic" (and risk confusion) or "Magic: The Gathering" (which is harder to say). The reason it's called "The Gathering" is for trademark reasons; the word Magic is too generic to be trademarked, and magic card tricks are pretty common, so the name was to apply to the ''Alpha/Beta/Unlimited'' sets. Richard had planned sequels named "Magic: Ice Age" (which was eventually released as ''Ice Age'' block) and "Magic: Menagerie" (which was released as ''Mirage'' block). However, the game was so popular that the company demanded an expansion pack much earlier than expected, resulting in ''Arabian Nights'' and, eventually, the "sets" we know and love today; the requirement that every card have identical back sides means that we're still stuck with "Magic: The Gathering" as the full name. ([[TheyChangedItNowItSucks Not to mention a million angry fans would descend upon Wizards' offices in hordes if they ever changed it.]])
* InterfaceScrew:
** The preview of the [[http://wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/396 Rise of the Eldrazi]] set did this to your browser!
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2530 Reality Twist]] creates a version of this in-game by switching the colors of mana produced by lands, making it difficult or impossible to cast spells.
* {{Invisibility}}:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=INVISIBILITY Invisibility]] is a card itself, and in function, it enchants a creature so [[InvisibleMeansUndodgeable that it cannot be blocked]] by anything except for Walls.
** Other already "invisible" creatures exist, such as [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220041 Invisible Stalker]], who come with the "hexproof" keyword for the same basic effect.
* JokeCharacter: Each block typically contains at least one entirely awful card, deliberately put there just for the people who love to try and make it work. (One such card is [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=norin+the+wary Norin the Wary]], a creature that "runs away" whenever any player does anything.) The game is such that they usually can. (As is the case for Norin, when combined with [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=49528 Confusion in the Ranks]].)
* JunkRare: There are a lot of these, usually [[TheyPlottedAPerfectlyGoodWaste on purpose]]. Mark Rosewater, the head designer, wrote a lengthy justification[[note]]not to be confused with a JustifiedTrope, which is a different thing entirely[[/note]] of the practice titled [[http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr9 "Rare, but Well Done"]], in which he discusses in great detail why this trope exists. [[invoked]]
* KeystoneArmy: Many creatures which generate tokens qualify. In many cases, such as [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=373536 Master of Waves]], the tokens disappear when the generating creature is destroyed.
* KillerRabbit: There are a number of "cute" creatures who boast power enough to be playable, with some even appearing at the [[TournamentPlay tournament level]]:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=382915 Deranged Hermit]] summons [[ZergRush four 1/1]] ''squirrel'' tokens when it enters play.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=31836 Squirrel Nest]] enchants a land so that when you tap it, you put a 1/1 squirrel token into play. Not a bad way to ensure that you always have a chump blocker ready to play.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=6138 Jackalope Herd]] is a 4/5 creature for a mere 4 mana, but has the drawback of being returned to your hand if you play a spell. Naturally, clever players have found a way to turn this into an advantage - if it gets hit with removal, just cast whatever utility spell you have handy to snatch it back to your hand. Alternatively, use its "drawback" in conjunction with post-attack spellcasting to give it a sort of jury-rigged "vigilance" ability.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=VIZZERDRIX Vizzedrix]] is a bunny/''piranha''. Though a 6/6 creature, its high mana cost and lack of an ability make it pretty impractical. Still, it can defeat most ''dragons'' and ''angels'' in a straight up fight.
* AKindOfOne: It was common in the game's early days for creatures to have unique creature types based on their names, leading to types like "Aladdin" or "Uncle Istvan". Most of them are now defunct, but a couple of these odd one-of types had the honor of later being upgraded into their own races: notably, Atog and Lhurgoyf. Some just stayed as one-ofs, like the solitary [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3377 Brushwagg.]]
* KillTheGod: The aptly named [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=380395 Deicide]], which doesn't specifically kill Gods but is especially good at it.
* KingmakerScenario: Frequently crops up in multiplayer games when [[AliceAndBob Bob's]] position is too weak to win the game, but strong enough to pick a side and swing the game in favor of either [[AliceAndBob Alice]] or [[AliceAndBob Carl]] at his whim. And, of course, Bob can improve his position quickly when down to a duel, culminating in a DarkHorseVictory if he chooses wisely.
* KlingonPromotion: A downplayed example with the Monarch mechanic from ''Conspiracy: Take the Crown''. After a player is crowned the monarch through a specific set of card effects, the next player to deal any amount of combat damage to them, be it ScratchDamage or lethal amounts, becomes the new monarch. This doesn't stop the previous monarch from trying to take it back if they're still in the game.
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: Any player may concede the game at any time, often due to the belief that one will soon or ultimately lose. This can happen during competitive tournament play, when a player may forfeit so they can play other games during their match in the time allotted. This rule even trumps cards whose ability prevents a player from winning or losing in a given situation (such as [[https://scryfall.com/card/ima/78/abyssal-persecutor?utm_source=mw_MTGWiki Abyssal Persecutor]] or [[https://scryfall.com/card/mma/4/angels-grace?utm_source=mw_MTGWiki Angel's Grace]]).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:L to Z]]
* LampshadeHanging:
** The [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=191089 Magic 2010 reprint of Lightning Bolt]] (A very popular card that hadn't seen print for a decade) has flavor text about a wizard who is surprised to have called upon such power as he hadn't seen since his youth.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?printed=true&multiverseid=32237 "The specimen seems to be broken."]] (That thing on the table is the head of a [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=13087 Masticore]], a famously powerful creature.)
** Many cards from the parody ''Unglued'' and ''Unhinged'' sets use this for humor, including [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74281 Granny's Payback]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=73943 Duh]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=9781 Ow]], and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74274 When Fluffy Bunnies Attack]].
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=233232 Giant Spider]] was crowned the winner of the long-running "Core Set Survivor". As of ''Magic 2012'', it's [[http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/718 the one card that's been in every single core set]] since ''Alpha'' [[note]]It did not make the jump to ''Magic 2013'' though.[[/note]]. Its flavor text for the printing that sealed the deal:
--->''"The wild is always changing, but it does have a few constants." --Garruk Wildspeaker''
* LaserGuidedAmnesia:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=195297 Jace, the Mind Sculptor's]] ultimate ability wipes the target's mind clean by deleting their entire library and temporarily blocking access to their hand.
** Cards like [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=233041 Surgical Extraction]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=215103 Memoricide]]. The latter allows you to name a card and exile all of your opponent's copies of that card--out of their hand, graveyard, and library. The former allows you to do the same with a card already in that player's graveyard.
** [[http://magiccards.info/dk/en/19.html Amnesia]] discards all the spells in your opponent's hand.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4913 Lobotomy]] let's you choose a card in your opponent's hand other than a basic land. The you search your opponent's graveyard and library for cards with the same name and exile them all.
* LethalHarmlessPowers: Due to the ExponentialPotential of the tens of thousands of cards in the game, certain combinations of otherwise non-lethal cards can be used to destroy your opponent. To note:
** "Mill deck" is a catch all term used to describe a deck that negates damage and forces the opponent to discard cards from their deck. This is their entire win strategy. Generally speaking, both of these are viable tactics, but are used to hinder the opponent rather then outright destroy them. Combined, however, these effects quickly deplete your opponents deck to zero (which is an automatic loss) all the while countering, negating, and generally obstructing all sources of damage they attempt to put out. Only certain cards can even hinder this strategy in any form and most decks won't be running those since they are so situational. Made even more terrifying by the fact that being "milled" canonically equates to being {{Mind Rape}}d into an EmptyShell - what with lovely spells like [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=83597 Glimpse the Unthinkable]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370663 Traumatize]], and the EldritchAbomination [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=188962 Nemesis of Reason]].
** Many "instant win" decks revolve around drawing several specific cards and using them to essentially nuke your opponent before the match even begins. Needless to say the key cards tend to be pretty unassuming at a glance. One infamous example is the "Vault Deck" - a combo which uses [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=protean%20hulk Protean Hulk]] (which summons creatures from your deck when it dies) and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=FLASH Flash]] (a cheap spell which summons creatures that instantly die if you don't pay a reduced cost). You Flash the Hulk, let it die, then use it's ability to summon up four [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=disciple+of+the+vault Disciple of the Vault]], four [[https://www.mtgvault.com/card/shifting-wall/STH/ Shifting Wall]], and four [[https://www.mtgvault.com/card/phyrexian-marauder/VIS/ Phyrexian Marauder]]. Since you're paying 0 mana, the Walls and Marauders become eight 0/0 artifact creatures. The 0/0s die immediately due to having 0 toughness which causes each of the Disciples to deal 8 damage to the enemy for 32 damage (starting hp is 20) killing the opponent instantly. With the right back up cards this can be done on "turn 0" (essentially the setup phase before the fight begins) ensuring your enemy can't even respond to it.
** Destroying your own creatures over and over again isn't directly harmful on its own, but doing so with the right combination of cards can lead to an instant defeat for your opponent. Take, for example, the combination of [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=135429 Blowfly Infestation]] and [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=426803 Nest of Scarabs]]. Blowfly Infestation lets you place a new -1/-1 counter on another creature if a creature with said counter died. Nest of Scarabs creates a 1/1 Insect whenever you place a -1/-1 counter. So, by first killing a 1-toughness creature with a -1/-1 counter, you create a 1/1 Insect, and then get to place a new -1/-1 counter on that Insect. This lets you create a new 1/1 Insect and place a -1/-1 counter on it when the previous Insect dies, creating a loop until you choose to target something else. This is an infinite number of enter-the-battlefield and death triggers which can turn into lethal damage through outlets such as [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=433031 Blood Artist]] and [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=394600 Impact Tremors]].
* LethalJokeCharacter: Completely awful cards can turn into {{Game Breaker}}s with later releases:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3255 Lion's Eye Diamond]] was originally designed to be a [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=600 Black Lotus]] that was watered down to the point of unplayability. Not only is it playable, but it's now banned or restricted in almost every format.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4610 Grindstone]] started as an oddball Millstone variant that saw little to no serious play. Many years later, Wizards printed [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=146022 Painter's Servant]], and a turn-one Vintage or turn-two Legacy combo-kill was born.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=121155 Dark Depths]] saw little play when it was originally released. In the Zendikar expansion, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=192232 Vampire Hexmage]] was printed and within weeks, Vintage and Legacy players discovered the combo that netted a player an inexpensive, indestructible, flying 20/20 creature that could win the game for them the following turn.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=136142 Tarmogoyf]] was printed in ''Future Sight'' so that its reminder text could be used as {{Foreshadowing}} for the then-unreleased Planeswalker and Tribal card types. However, it turned out to be so effective that it's now the most expensive card printed in the last ten years.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Norin%20the%20Wary Norin the Wary]], a creature that's exiled until the end of the turn whenever anyone casts a spell and whenever any creature attacks. Since "any creature" includes Norin itself, it looks like a useless joke card at first glance, but it can be extremely powerful when combined with effects that trigger whenever a creature comes into play, especially [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=49528 Confusion in the Ranks]]. And because of how easy it is to trigger his ability, he's notoriously difficult to deal with permanently.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159749 Illusions of Grandeur]] was originally an expensive and mostly-useless stalling card; it gives you twenty life when it comes into play, but has a cumulative upkeep and costs you twenty life when it leaves play, so it didn't do much. Then Wizards printed [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=15168 Donate]], which let you give the card to your opponent, saddling ''them'' with the upkeep and making them lose twenty life (and usually the game) when they fail to pay it.
** The unplayable [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=446170 Hunted Wumpus]] is a solid 6/6 creature for four mana, but comes with the obscene drawback of allowing each other player, typically opponent(s) in a standard match or three-way, to play any creature from their hand free of charge. However, the "Emperor" format pits two teams of three against eachother, with the "middle" player on each team being the "Emperor" whose actions are restricted. Under "Gent's Rules", the most restrictive version, the Emperor can only interact directly with (or be interacted with) their teammates. Enter the Hunted Wumpus, which quickly becomes broken to the highest degree. The result was a variant with only one strategy allowed: the two flankers would help the Emperor ramp up his mana, and then he'd play the Wumpus to help them cheat out big monsters to send at the other team. Since you couldn't stop the other team, it was purely a race to see who could do it first.
** Cards from the silly, silver-bordered sets ''Unglued'', ''Unhinged'', and ''Unstable'' aren't tournament-legal, but can be surprisingly effective at the kitchen table.
* LightningBruiser:
** Anything big with haste. Consider [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=174968 Predator Dragon]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=185727 Hellkite Charger]], and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=175057 Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund]] for three draconic examples. (Admittedly, the "lightning" part only applies on the first turn you summon it, but the "bruiser" will remain indefinitely.)
** Alternatively anything big with first strike also qualifies, such as [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193871 Akroma, Angel of Wrath]]. (Though she has haste too, so she fits by either metric.)
* LinearWarriorsQuadraticWizards:
** In a metagame sense, this is present in with regards to the color system. For casual players, the five colors are more or less equally good. At the competitive level, historically, blue (the color most associated with magic and "wizards") is typically viewed as the best color while green (the color most associated with creatures and hence, "warriors") is typically viewed as the worst. This has been changing over time and is now hotly contested, though, and the game is constantly being updated with an eye toward balance. For example, on the 2019 tournament scene, green is considered one of the better colors in the Standard format, with several very powerful cards (some of them even had to be banned). White has since taken green's former place as the weakest color.
** Played relatively straight in terms of creature cards themselves. "Warrior" creatures typically cost less mana to summon than "wizard" creatures of relative power and toughness. However, the "wizards" often have abilities or effects beyond simply power/toughness which make them more powerful. "Warriors" are much more likely to have limited abilities, or may not have them at all. Compare, for instance, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=grizzly+bears Grizzly Bears]], a staple two mana green 2/2 "warrior", and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=442929 Academy Journeymage]], a five mana 3/2 "wizard" with the added ability to return a creature to their controller's hand.
* LivingWeapon:
** [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=o%3A%22living+weapon%22&v=card&s=cname The "Living Weapon" mechanic.]]
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=51115 Ensouled Scimitar]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=84114 Dancing Scimitar]]
* LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading:
** The ''Magic Online'' client takes a while to start up if there's an update to download, and still has a substantial loading screen otherwise.
** If you count shuffling as a loading screen, the paper game has its share as well, especially if using a deck (usually blue) with a lot of "Pull X from your library and then shuffle it" cards.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfRules:
** The game rules themselves. The Comprehensive Rulebook is available for download from Wizards of the Coast in PDF form. The document is 185 pages long and grows a little with each new set released.
** Some cards really, really stretch the limit of readability with complicated one-off abilities. Like [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2308 Tempest Efreet]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=202494 Ice Cauldron]].
** The infamous [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=46724 Mindslaver]] card created a whole new section of the rulebook dictating how to handle taking control of your opponent's turn. To date only it, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=195403 Sorin Markov]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=380528 Worst Fears]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=414295 Emrakul, the Promised End]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=202591 Word of Command]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=420628 Cruel Entertainment]] use said rules.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129898 Time Stop]] has an effect that uses three words: "End the turn." The rest of the card is filled with reminder text on what this actually entails and how it interacts with unresolved actions.
** Parodied with the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=9778 Bureaucracy]] card in ''Unglued'', though it's probably easier to understand than any of the ones above.
** Wizards generally has complexity increase with rarity ([[PowerEqualsRarity but not power]]), so casual players playing each other won't be exposed to so many such cards.
* {{Lobotomy}}: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=23170 Lobotomy]].
* LoopholeAbuse:
** Some of the more [[GameBreaker creative]] strategies border on or flat-out are this. Most infamously, and maybe apocryphally, the player who multiplied the effect of [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=603 Chaos Orb]] by ripping it into pieces and scattering it over his opponents side.
** Or the player who brought to a tournament a deck based around [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=106662 Wall of Roots]], whose ability you can activate ''only once per turn''... and convinced the judges that he could use it infinite times by activating it ''between turns''.
** The staple White PowerLimiter [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=259711 Oblivion Ring]] exiles a card when it enters play, and returns that card to play when it leaves. As the entry itself states, "If Oblivion Ring leaves the battlefield before its first ability has resolved, its second ability will trigger and do nothing. Then its first ability will resolve and exile the targeted nonland permanent forever." Therefore, if you could contrive to make your O Ring leave the battlefield before that first ability had resolved -- say, by using a second O Ring on it -- your opponent's critical card was LostForever. This was problematic enough that they designed an ObviousRulePatch version called [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=380375 Banishing Light]], and used that card's wording for most subsequent similar cards.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=174818 Lich's Mirror]] causes you to, on death, shuffle everything you own into your library and start over from scratch at 20 life with a fresh hand. If you control someone else's Mirror, though, it's not a permanent you ''own'' and so you actually keep the Mirror when you "start over". It's not foolproof, though: while you do become [[ResurrectiveImmortality unkillable]], there's nothing stopping your opponent from milling you out. That, and the fact that you start over with nothing while your opponent keeps their board makes it harder to stage a comeback.
* LostInTranslation:
** The Japanese version of [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=23054 Yawgmoth's Agenda]] was mistakenly translated as Yawgmoth's Day Planner.
** The Spanish version of M10's [[http://magiccards.info/m10/es/143.html Jackal Familiar]] mistranslated "Jackal Familiar can't attack or block alone" as "Jackal Familiar can't attack or block." That would make the card significantly worse, wouldn't it?
** The Spanish version of the M11 card [[http://magiccards.info/m11/es/94.html Disentomb]] mistranslated "Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand" as "Return target creature card from your graveyard to ''play''", making the card significantly more powerful.
** The Portuguese version of [[http://magiccards.info/som/pt/46.html Stoic Rebuttal]] does... well, ''nothing''. Stoic Rebuttal is a simple counterspell that costs 1 less mana to cast if you have 3 or more Artifacts. Too bad when they translated it, they forgot the whole "counter a spell" part. Ooops.
** Luckily, cards use their English oracle text, no matter what is printed on the actual card.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=48582 Shield of Kaldra]] is the big daddy, an indestructible shield that makes the bearer indestructible as well. Lesser shields and shield-wielders include but are not limited to [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=185063 Shield of the Righteous]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=209046 Accorder's Shield]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=152668 Burrenton Shield-Bearers]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=107272 Haazda Shield Mate]], and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193525 Stalwart Shield-Bearers]].
** Inverted with [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=83730 Pariah's Shield]], which magically draws all attacks to its bearer.
* LuckManipulationMechanic:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=48923 Krark's Thumb]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=9665 Goblin Bookie]] allow you to re-flip a coin if you lose the flip.
** Rearranging the top few cards of your library is a staple ability that appears most commonly on blue cards (like [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=190188 Sage Owl]]). Related abilities include [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=o%3Ascry&v=card&s=cname Scry]], [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=o%3Afateseal&v=card&s=cname Fateseal]], and [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=o%3Aclash+%28e%3Amt%2Fen+or+e%3Alw%2Fen%29&v=card&s=cname Clash]].
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=194972 Sensei's Divining Top]] has one that's so good (and slowed down games so much with constant rearranging and shuffling), it was banned in multiple formats.
** ''Unstable'' includes a slew of cards that involve die rolls. Naturally, there are several cards that let you reroll dice and pick the result you want, and others that add to the roll result, which can end in rolls going higher than 6.
* LukeNounverber: A common naming convention.
* MadeOfIndestructium: Anything made of Darksteel metal is indestructible.
* MagicIsMental: How the game mechanics translate to the actual idea of a "wizard duel". The library and your hand full of spells represent your mind and knowledge, and cards which affect them (discarding, drawing, searching, etc.) are implied to be affecting your mind directly. The graveyard is your memory, and spells which affect it (bringing things back from it, exiling, etc.) are implied to be affecting your memory.
* MagikarpPower:
** The ''Kamigawa'' block had a number of "flip cards" which are fairly weak, relatively useless creatures when first summoned, but can be "flipped" (rotated 180 degrees) when certain conditions are met, generally becoming a powerful legendary creature. The conditions required to flip these cards are sometimes quite easy. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=78691 Student of Elements,]] for example, becomes Tobita, Master of Winds as soon as it gains flying, a task fairly easily accomplished with blue spells. Others are considerably more difficult to flip, but the results are worth it. For instance, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=78600 Bushi Tenderfoot]] must first contribute to the death of another creature to flip, but as a puny 1/1 it isn't likely to kill much of anything without help, and will surely die if sent into combat without some sort of outside boost or protection. However, if you do manage this feat, that puny Tenderfoot becomes the immensely powerful Kenzo the Hardhearted, who is capable of dishing out a whopping 10 damage to an enemy creature in combat.[[note]]To put it into perspective: a normal non-magical human with a sword hits for 1. A grizzly bear hits for 2. A hill giant hits for 3. Most dragons hit for 5 and up. So a creature dealing 10 damage by itself is like two dragons mauling something at once.[[/note]]
** The ''Eldrazi'' set has brought along creatures that gain 'Level Counters' when ever you pay to do so. Their stats increase takes a while and it takes up resources that could be put toward other uses instead, but some of them get REALLY good powers at max level. For example, take [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=198164 Lord of Shatterskull Pass]]. Leveling it to max requires spending mana on it for ''6 turns'', and the levels between level 1 (which grants +3/+3) and level 6 don't add anything.
** The ''Innistrad'' set introduces double-faced cards and the transform mechanic. Most of them are werewolves but one in particular, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=221179 Ludevic's Test Subject,]] is an egg. It has zero attack power, and is in fact completely unable to attack. However, once you use its ability to give it five "hatch" counters, it becomes [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Ludevic's Abomination]], a 13/13 creature with trample, which is much better for attacking.
** The ''Theros'' block adds the Heroic mechanic. Heroic creatures gain a special effect when you target them with a spell, usually placing +1/+1 counters on them. It is quite easy to turn a 1/2 [[http://magiccards.info/ths/en/13.html Favored Hoplite]] into a [[TheJuggernaut Juggernaut]] that simply doesn't take damage and can bulldoze through enemy defenses.
** The [[http://magiccards.info/m11/en/28.html Serra Ascendant]] starts out as a 1/1 with lifelink. If you manage to get your life total >= 30 (you start with 20) and keep it that high, the Serra Ascendant becomes a 6/6 creature with flying and lifelink. Naturally, Serra Ascendant is a solid addition to any deck that specializes in life gain.
** [[http://magiccards.info/m13/en/57.html Jace's Phantasm]] is normally a puny 1/1 flyer. It becomes a respectable 5/5 flyer (making it as powerful as the average ''dragon'') if an opponent has ten or more cards in his or her graveyard. Conveniently, a lot of blue cards (especially those related to [[PsychicPowers Jace Beleren]] like the Phantasm) force players to discard cards.
** [[http://magiccards.info/roe/en/169.html Tuktuk the Explorer]] starts out as a measly 1/1 with haste that costs three mana to summon. If he dies, he is replaced by a legendary 5/5 goblin golem artifact creature called "Tuktuk the Returned". Since the opponent probably isn't going to be in any hurry to kill Tuktuk for you, you'll need to find a way to hasten his demise yourself.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=253670 Primordial Hydra]] starts out relatively weak, with power and toughness equal to the X value when summoning it, which could conceivably be as low as 1. Every turn, though, it doubles its power and toughness, which, through the power of exponents, can make it unstoppable in, at most, 5 turns, and even less if extra mana is used when summoning it.
** In a metagame sense, this applies to numerous decks. Multi-color decks have extremely slow early games since most of the lands they rely on for their mana base enter tapped. Then, when they have those lands out, they start casting multi-colored spells, which are usually more powerful than equivalently costed monocolor spells as a balancing effect for their requiring multiple colors of mana. Delve decks, which have underwhelming early games since delve cards are very expensive to hardcast, but once they've spent the early game filling their graveyard, they can start exiling those cards to pay the colorless part of delve spells' costs, letting them cast multiple otherwise expensive spells in a turn.
* {{Magitek}}: Many artifacts qualify, especially artifact creatures. Colossi, Golems, [[SteamPunk Clockwork]] creatures, and many Phyrexian creatures are common examples. They are essentially inanimate objects given life through magic. They typically have higher mana costs than non-artifact creatures of relative power, but that is offset by them very rarely requiring specific types of mana, so they are playable in any deck.
* MakeThemRot: There are spells like [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=292956 Putrefy]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=368506 Decompose]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=122050 Krovikan Rot]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=253561 Abrupt Decay]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=88965 Brainspoil]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=15177 Rapid Decay]], among others.
* ManaBurn:
** It's possible to attack your opponent's lands, denying them their mana.
** The "Mana burn" mechanic that left the game with the Magic 2010 rules changes is, ironically, not an example.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=192224 Obsidian Fireheart]] puts a twist on this trope by allowing the controller of Obsidian Fireheart to put "burn counters" on a target land. That counter has a built in ability stating that that land deals one damage to its controller at the beginning of their upkeep, even if Obsidian Fireheart is no longer in play.
* ManaDrain: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1491 Mana Drain]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3903 Drain Power]], and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?id=25567 Mana Short]], among others.
* ManEatingPlant: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159142 Carnivorous Plant]].
* MasterOfAll: The closest to the spirit of the trope is probably [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=179496 Progenitus]], which at 10/10 is among the largest naturally-occuring creatures and has Protection from Everything. (Protection effects are usually limited to a single color or creature type.) Fittingly, it costs two of every mana type to play, requiring the ''player'' to be something of a MasterOfAll just to get it on the field.
* MathematiciansAnswer: In order to avoid giving accidental advice or information, Judges are required to answer rules questions this way during tournaments, which can sometimes result in dangerously misleading responses if you word your question carelessly. The classic example is asking if you can target an indestructible creature with a spell intended to destroy it. The judge will say that yes, you can do so (since, taken literally, it is possible to take that action if you really want to do so), and will not be allowed to tell you that the spell will be wasted and won't accomplish anything.
* MaximumHPReduction: Creatures with the Wither or Infect abilities deal damage to other creatures in the from of -1/-1 counters. Unlike regular damage, which creatures heal from at the end of each turn, -1/-1 counters represent a permanent reduction in both power and toughness (having toughness reduced to 0 will kill a creature) for as long as the creature is in play.
* {{Metamorphosis}}: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=226755 Delver of Secrets/Insectile Aberration]]. Starts as a human scientist, morphs into [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin an insectile aberration]]. According to WordOfGod, it was [[ShoutOut inspired by]] ''Film/TheFly1986''.
* {{Metagame}}: Probably the best-known instance; decks that dominate one tournament can get curbstomped in the next due to metagame changes.
* {{Microtransactions}}: Later ''Duels'' games let you pay money for things like full deck unlocks or turning cards into foil versions. The free-to-play ''Magic Duels'' lets you buy in-game currency with real money.
* MindControlDevice: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4611 Helm of Possession]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370366 Vedalken Shackles]] for creatures, and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=209044 Mindslaver]] for players.
* TheMinionMaster:
** Weenie decks turn you into one of these. A FragileSpeedster in deck form, they typically focus around getting as many low mana cost creatures into play as fast as you can in order to ZergRush your opponent. Particularly effective against "Control" decks, as their reliance on blocking and removal spells can't keep up with the sheer amount of creatures you're throwing at them. Weak against Aggro decks, however, as their fewer-but-stronger creatures will annihilate your weenies (or trample over them) with ease.
** Token decks are another form of this. Tokens are creatures not represented by an actual card in your deck, but are generated by numerous cards (including other creatures). There are also numerous spells and creature abilities which further strengthen tokens as well. The various [[https://www.channelfireball.com/articles/deck-of-the-day-b-w-tokens-modern/ Black-White Token]] decks are some of the most famous.
* MixAndMatchCritters: In ''Unstable'', Crossbreed Labs features the host and augment mechanic, where you can splice an augment onto a host, creating a bizarre combination of both cards' abilities and creature types. From the same set (but not the same faction), [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=439521 Grusilda, Monster Masher]] combines ''any'' two creatures into one, resulting in even more complex results.
* MookCommander: Two major types:
** There is a general type of creature informally referred to by both creators and players as a "Lord". Typically, the name applies to a creature that grants a bonus to the power and toughness (attack and defense) of all creatures of its own race or class (but not to itself), as well as granting an additional ability that varies from Lord to Lord. For instance, Knight Exemplar grants a P/T boost to all other Knights, and also makes them indestructible. Variations exist; for instance, Lord of the Unreal is a human, but functions as an Illusion Lord, as he gives a P/T boost to Illusions and also makes them [[AntiMagic immune to their opponents' spells and abilities]].
** The Slivers could be considered an entire ''species'' of Lords[=/=]{{Mook Commander}}s that recursively enhance each other; with incredibly rare exceptions, ''every'' Sliver grants bonuses to ''all other Slivers''.
* MookMaker: A staple effect. Examples included but are ''definitely'' not limited to: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Breeding%20Pit Breeding Pit]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Kjeldoran%20Outpost Kjeldoran Outpost]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Thallid Thallid]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=The%20Hive The Hive]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=40198 Riptide Replicator]], ''[[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=114921 Sarpadian Empires, Vol. VII]]'', [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=213757 Myr Turbine]], and many, many more.
* MultipleDemographicAppeal: The minds behind Magic R&D have actually created three psychographic profiles -- "Johnny/Jenny", "Timmy/Tammy", and "Spike" -- representing three different demographics for the game. See [[http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr220 Timmy, Johnny and Spike Revisited]]. Simply put: Timmies/Tammies love to play cool cards, Johnnies/Jennies love to design cool decks, and Spikes love to win. Since then, the flavor gurus created two more profiles -- "Vorthos", who likes the flavor aspect of a card, and "Mel/Melvin/Melanie", who likes the mechanical aspect of a card.
* MundaneUtility: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] in the case of several equipment cards from ''Innistrad'' block, which are [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220049 everyday]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=222190 tools]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=244766 farming]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220642 implements]] used by the otherwise helpless peasantry to defend themselves from the setting's zombies, werewolves, and vampires. As an added bonus, these equipment cards become ''stronger'' when wielded by humans.
* MyDefenseNeedNotProtectMeForever: It's common for slower strategies to establish defenses in the early game just to buy time to reach the later stages.
* {{Nerf}}: Cards which prove to be too overpowered are banned or limited. In the past, Wizards would also use errata to curb the power of problematic cards, until they decided to exclusively use this to clarify what a card is supposed to do. A list of various nerfs can be found on the trope page.
* NeverTheSelvesShallMeet: Both played straight and averted. Played straight because each player can only have one copy of the same legend or one version of a particular planeswalker at once. Averted because each player can have their own copy. Some characters like Nicol Bolas allow a single player to avert this due to being printed both as a [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Nicol%20Bolas legendary creature]] and a [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Nicol%20Bolas,%20Planeswalker planeswalker]].
* NoOntologicalInertia:
** If you are playing in a multiplayer game and you die, all the cards you own disappear from the game. This is primarily so that you don't have to stick around until the end of the game just to get back the enchantment you put on somebody else's creature.
** Many white removal spells (such as [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=259711 Oblivion Ring]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=247547 Journey to Nowhere]]) work like this on a smaller scale, only functioning for as long as the removal card itself stays in play.
** Abilities themselves avert this; they exist independent of their source, so that destroying the source does nothing to stop the ability.
* NonElemental:
** Artifacts, with a few exceptions, are colorless.
** Eldrazi. Again. Is there any trope they don't fall under?
* NotTheIntendedUse: Rampant. Destroying your own creatures, countering your own spells, using a [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=109757 War Barge]] on your opponents' creatures and then destroying the barge to kill the creatures, ripping up your [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=603 Chaos Orb]] before you activate it... On rare occasions a player will use a harmful spell on themselves or helpful spell on their opponent because the game has reached a weird point so they actually want to do what would normally be bad. Very often, players will cast spells just for side effects that are normally minor, but happen to be incredibly important at the time.
* [[NotUsingTheZWord Not Using The D Word]]: References to demons were removed after a few {{Moral Guardian}}s complained; this carried on for a while with cards being called "horror" or "beast," before demons started appearing again (Mark Rosewater goes into more detail about this [[http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom%2Fdaily%2Fmr131 here]]). This is why the ''Unglued'' card "Infernal Spawn of Evil" has the text "Summon Demon" with "Demon" struck out and replaced with "Beast" and vice versa for the ''Unhinged'' card "Infernal Spawn of Infernal Spawn of Evil."
* OathboundPower: The [[https://aminoapps.com/c/mtg/page/item/future-cycle-pact-cycle/KWli_KIBXwKrDQMpwEo4dlYxrmQv8Zj Cycle of Pacts]], one for each color. Pacts are spells that can be cast for free. However, the caster must pay a cost at the beginning of their next turn, or else they immediately lose the game.
* OddlyNamedSequel2ElectricBoogaloo:
** The ''Portal'' expansion was followed by ''Portal Second Age'' and ''Portal: Three Kingdoms''.
** Head Designer Mark Rosewater has a little fun with it [[http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/mm/106 here]], with a fake announcement for ''Homelands 2: Grandmother's Return''. He also laments that his suggestion for ''Portal 2: Electric Boogaloo'' was rejected.
** The cancelled sequel to ''Unglued'' was tentatively named ''Unglued 2: the Obligatory Sequel''.
* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: Literally with the famous [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=cruel+ultimatum Cruel Ultimatum]], which essentially forces one of these onto your opponent. They lose 5 life, discard 3 cards, and sacrifice one creature while you gain 5 life, draw 3 cards, and get a creature back from the graveyard.
* OldSaveBonus: The ''Duels of the Planeswalkers'' games from ''2013'' onwards give you a small bonus, like a deck unlock key or premium booster pack, if you played the previous year's game.
* OneSizeFitsAll: Those [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220261 Swiftfoot Boots]] can be equipped to any creature card, ranging from humans to elves to snakes to fish to spiders to ''dragons''... Justified in the meta sense since printing rules on each card about what creature types can and can't use a piece of equipment would overwhelm a single card.
* OverratedAndUnderleveled: Any cards with too high of a mana cost relative to their abilities/powers qualify. Planeswalker cards can be notorious for this, such as [[https://www.mtgsalvation.com/cards/zendikar/16277-chandra-ablaze Chandra Ablaze]] and [[https://www.mtgsalvation.com/cards/archenemy-nicol-bolas/31690-nicol-bolas-planeswalker Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker]]. It's not that can't be impressive if you get them into place, it's just that there are more effective ways to spend that mana (such as [[https://mtg.wikia.com/wiki/Cruel_Ultimatum Cruel Ultimatum]] for Bolas).
* PaintingTheMedium: A popular gag in both ''Unglued'' and ''Unhinged''. For example, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=73941 Frazzled Editor]] is making corrections to his own rules text, and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=73937 Latin Pig]]'s card is written entirely in PigLatin.
* PaperTiger: The [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=5705 Paper Tiger]] card ironically averts the trope, though it does provide the page image.
* PlayEveryDay: ''Magic Duels'' has daily quests you can complete for additional currency. You can have up to three unfinished quests at once. There's also community quests to shoot for.
* PlayedForLaughs:
** Some cards, while still useful, have the ability to cause some much-needed hilarity amid all of the chaos and destruction. For example, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220265 Turn To Frog]].
** There's also [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=142363 Goatnapper]]. In addition to being silly, it had the perplexing quality of being able to target only [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=16442 two]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=10540 cards]] in the whole game... [[FridgeBrilliance until you remember]] that the new Changeling creatures released in the same set count as having every creature type simultaneously.
* PlayingWithFire: A large portion of Red, described in detail throughout this page. Also, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=109752 Jaya Ballard]] and her pupil, the lesser planeswalker [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205958 Chandra Nalaar]].
* PoorPredictableRock: In general, each of the five colors lends itself well to a few specific strategies, but also has weaknesses that cause it to fall into this trope. This can be resolved by adding more colors to the deck to cover the weaknesses, but this can make it hard to play spells reliably. In tournament play, matches last for three-rounds and each player is allowed to have a side deck of 15 cards which they can use to tweak their deck to counter whatever strategies the opponent is using, helping to avert this.
* {{Portmanteau}}: Seen occasionally in card names like [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=368483 Blightning]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=26837 Deadapult]].
* PowerAtAPrice: A major theme for Black. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=207891 Phyrexian Negator]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=201129 Cosmic Horror]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=189885 Xathrid Demon]]... one commentator [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Discussion.aspx?multiverseid=207891 here]] describes the entire Suicide Black ethos as "tearing off your own arm so you can beat your opponent over the head with it."
* PowerBornOfMadness:
** The aptly named "Madness" keyword. Sanity is represented by the cards left in your hand and in your library; an empty hand is unstable, an empty library is when a planeswalker is going to completely lose their mind. Madness allows you to sacrifice short-term sanity to play the card you're discarding cheaply. Decks built around Madness naturally see significant discarding.
** The "Hellbent" keyword similarly denotes cards that gain an advantage when your hand is empty.
** "Dredge" allows you to affect your long-term sanity to recur things from your graveyard.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=230788 Laboratory Maniac]] is a specific card example. Normally, you lose the game if you must draw when your library is empty. As long as Laboratory Maniac is in play, you ''win'' the game instead.
* PowerCopying:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=107385 Experiment Kraj]] copies all the abilities of creatures that have +1/+1 counters on them.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Discussion.aspx?multiverseid=207876 Necrotic Ooze]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=262852 Havengul Lich]] all directly copy the abilities of creatures in any Graveyard.
** [[https://scryfall.com/card/hou/122/majestic-myriarch Majestic Myriarch]] gains the abilities flying, first strike, double strike, deathtouch, haste, hexproof, indestructible, lifelink, menace, reach, trample, and vigilance at the beginning of combat if its controller controls another creature with one of these abilities. For example, if Majestic Myriarch's controller also controls one creature with haste and another creature with double strike, Majestic Myriarch gains haste and double strike at the beginning of combat.
** Several shapeshifters can copy the abilities of defeated foes; [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=83850 Dimir Doppelganger]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=140171 Cairn Wanderer]], for example.
* PowerCreep:
** Happens so frequently that the term "[[http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/Strictly_better strictly better]]" has entered the ''Magic'' lexicon to describe the phenomenon. Card A is "strictly better" than Card B when they are identical in most parameters, and in the ones where they're different Card A has a clear advantage, meaning that Card A is preferable to Card B in almost all situations. Specific example: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=209 Lightning Bolt]] costs 1 mana and deals 3 damage where [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=5143 Shock]] does only 2. (An incomplete list of cards that fit the "strictly better" comparison can be viewed [[http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/Strictly_better here]].) In total fairness, the game is over [[LongRunner 20 years]] and 15,000+ cards old, which simply suggests that PowerCreep is inevitable.
** There is also ''deliberate'' creep on the part of Wizards. The overall pattern has been creatures growing in strength while spells get weaker. When the game first came out, LinearWarriorsQuadraticWizards was in full effect. The infamous [[https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/power-nine-2003-10-15 Power Nine]] were early cards considered to be the most powerful effects in the game ([[BoringButPractical despite all but one of them being fairly boring in effect]]). Six of them are mana sources while the other three are all spells. There are no creatures in the Power Nine. Meanwhile, [[http://magiccards.info/al/en/103.html Force Of Nature]] was originally the biggest creature in the game, an 8/8 (for 6 mana) that you need to keep paying mana to in order to keep alive. Nowadays, [[http://magiccards.info/zen/en/187.html Terra Stomper]] - a "strictly better" version with a more flexible casting cost, the upkeep drawback removed, and a small perk added - is considered ''too weak'' to play in competition. Additionally, compare [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220176 Serra Angel]], a creature that was at one point removed from the core set for being too powerful, to [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205077 Baneslayer Angel]], which lacks one of Serra Angel's traits (Vigilance) but replaces it with a metric crap-ton of other stuff. The generally-agreed-upon theory as to why creatures suddenly became extremely useful around 2003-2004 was that, for the first 10 years of the game's life, creatures were largely a total waste of mana. While a few were actually considered "good", such as Morphling and Psychatog, the vast, ''vast'' majority [[LinearWarriorsQuadraticWizards were considered plainly useless compared to Enchantments, Instants, Sorceries]], and even ''Lands''... to the point that most top-tier Type 1 and Type 1.5 decks (now called Vintage and Legacy Formats) were creatureless. Wizards vastly overestimated the effect that creatures had on the game outside of Limited and Standard, and around 8th Edition, realized that they needed to make creatures relevant. What ensued was massive power creep of creatures that were intensely mana-efficient, so that they would be considered just as useful as other card types. [[BatmanGambit It worked]]: it is now very rare for Modern, Legacy, and Vintage decks to contain no creatures, but at the same time they aren't the bulk of most decks, either, with most decks playing between 8 and 18 creatures.
** Wizards has also identified ''complexity'' creep as an issue. The rules needed to deal with thousands of different cards make for an [[DoorStopper imposing document]]. The spiraling increases in complexity put the game at risk of being impossible for any potential customer to understand. To combat this, they created the Type 2 (or Standard) format, which is theoretically immune to both power creep and complexity creep as only the last two years of cards are allowed, so that power creep/seep relative to older cards doesn't matter.
** Wizards also takes measures to avoid the level of power creep that other [=CCGs=] suffer by temporarily increasing the power of one type of effect, but scaling it back later to focus on another aspect.
** Finally, it should be pointed out that "strictly better" cards almost always have another downside: they're strictly more expensive, especially in cases like Lightning Bolt vs Shock where the more powerful card was deliberately {{Nerf}}ed. How much more? In this case, ''ten times more'' (25¢ vs $2.50). And let's not even ''talk'' about the value difference between the aforementioned Serra and Baneslayer Angels.[[note]]Serra Angel is a Rare; you are guaranteed to get a Rare in every 15-card "booster pack" you buy. Baneslayer Angel is a ''Mythic'' Rare, which replaces the Rare in about one of every ''eight'' booster packs.[[/note]]
* PoweredByAForsakenChild: A staple of black cards. The whole concept of black mana is sacrifice for selfish, personal gain — even to the point of sacrificing bits of yourself. All colors have some sort of ubercard that's cheap to use but has some drawback. Black, however, is the king of this, with a hideous number of cards that allow one to do quite a lot of awesome things, but cost you creatures, land, life, cards in hand, cards in graveyard (a viable resource for black, so not something to be sneezed at), or something else. One makes you lose the game if you don't win by the end of your next turn. Some especially notable examples:
** [[https://scryfall.com/card/2ed/114/lich?utm_source=mci Lich]] is a classic. It essentially turns ''you'' into a Lich - you lose all life, but do not immediately lose the game. Instead, you can discard cards in place of damage taken. If you are unable to discard, ''then'' you lose.
** Another notable early example is [[http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=135271 Lord of the Pit]], an extremely powerful creature for its cost that requires a sacrifice of one creature per turn or it turns on you.
** The infamous [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=Necropotence&v=card&s=cname Necropotence]] allows the player to trade life for more magical power and knowledge (i.e. draw cards). One common combo is creature removal (i.e. killing creatures), [[MindRape discard spells]], and the Avatar of Woe, a [[{{BFG}} huge creature]] which costs eight mana (two of which have to be black), but only costs the two black mana if there are a total of ten or more creatures in all graveyards. This card was so powerful it has been banned or restricted in most formats.
* PowerFist: Popular as a source of power for red. Examples include [[http://magiccards.info/7e/en/195.html Granite Grip]], [[http://magiccards.info/ia/en/219.html Stonehands]], and [[http://magiccards.info/shm/en/187.html Fists of the Demigod]]. Similarly, the latest art for [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=249382 Kird Ape]] has powerfists ''made of rock''.
* PowerEqualsRarity: An interesting case. Although many rares are more powerful than their common or uncommon counterparts, powerful cards are not exclusively rare. Additionally, rarity is used to balance Limited formats (in which players build decks out of a random or semi-random pool of cards). And this is only scratching the surface--whole essays can ([[http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr9 and have]]) been written on the guidelines the designers use to determine rarity.
* ThePowerOfFriendship: The aptly-named Ally creature mechanic, which benefits from the presence of other Allies.
* PowerOfTheGodHand: Not InUniverse, but used as {{fanspeak}}. A different definition of "hand" than most uses of this trope, but a "God Hand" is generally considered seven cards that, when drawn, will defeat an opponent in the first round. The exact definition of a God Hand can sometimes be a source of [[SeriousBusiness great contention]].
* PowerNullifier: There are a number of different Power Nullifiers depending on exactly ''what'' you want to nullify - [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4437 Null Rod]] for artifacts, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=48432 Arrest]] for creatures, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129526 Pithing Needle]] for any one card, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=5711 Back to Basics]] for non-basic lands, etc.
* PowersAsPrograms: Creature enchantments are this. As are equipment; yes, it's possible for a bird to carry three swords, a shield, and armor clearly designed with humans in mind. Could they be {{Morph Weapon}}s? It sounds like something [[AWizardDidIt a Planeswalker could do]], but we might never know.
* PracticalTaunt: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=39890 Taunting Elf]] causes all of the defending opponent's creatures to block it when it attacks.
* PressXToDie:
** A handful of actions will do nothing useful and just harm you or your creatures. For example, ''normally'', when you cast [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=420833 Progenitor Mimic]], you target another creature and the Mimic become a copy of that creature [[MookMaker that makes more copies]]. However, the ability responsible specifies "may", which means you don't ''have'' to do any of that, in which case "Progenitor Mimic enters the battlefield as a 0/0 Shapeshifter creature and is probably put into the graveyard immediately."
** Mana in Magic pays for almost anything a player wants to do. In Magic's early days, the mana pool emptied at the end of each phase of a turn as well as before and after combat. Mana is almost always voluntarily generated by a player by using their land, artifacts, and creatures. In early editions, having unspent mana in your pool when it emptied resulted in mana burn, or loss of life.
* ProductionThrowback[=/=]WhatCouldHaveBeen[=/=]ProductionForeshadowing: ''Time Spiral'', ''Planar Chaos'', and ''Future Sight'', in that order.
* PromotionalPowerlessPieceOfGarbage: Wizards tends to give these out, not as BS "cash grabs" like many other [=CCGs=], but as one-of-a-kind prizes. Several have been given out as unique prizes within books. One unique card was given at the opening of Wizards' first store in Japan. One was given to the 1997 World Champion. Three more were given to Richard Garfield to commemorate his proposal, wedding, and the birth of his first child, respectively. Wizards has also given its employees silly, "Unglued"-style foil promotional cards at Christmas.
* PsychicPowers: A staple of blue magic, especially anything relating to the (in)famous planeswalker Jace Beleren. In terms of game mechanics, "psychic" abilities most often take the form of forcing your opponent to discard from their hand and/or directly from their deck (attacking their mind and knowledge), removing cards from their graveyard (their memory), and even playing their own cards against them (landing somewhere between MindControl and MindRape).
* PurposefullyOverpowered:
** "Archenemy" decks, intended for a 3-vs-1 format, which are played with more life, tougher creatures, and a separate library of spell-like effects that are played one per turn at random. Naturally, these would be completely devastating in a standard game.
** Many cards from the various "Un-" sets would be horrifically broken if used in standard play. Naturally, these cards are illegal for tournament play. Particularly notable examples include the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=mox+lotus Mox Lotus]], which gives you ''infinite mana'', and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74306 Cheatyface]], which you can sneak on to the battlefield for free as long as your opponent doesn't catch you.
* QuadDamage:
** Many combat-oriented instants, especially [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129568 Giant Growth]] and variants.
** Also, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205268 Furnace of Rath]] and a few other cards double all damage.
* RandomEffectSpell:
** ''Magic The Gathering Online'''s "Vanguard" has several Vanguard avatars which pull random effects like these. Most prominently, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=182271 Momir Vig]] allows you to pay X mana to make a copy of a random creature that also costs X mana, spawning an entire alternative format called Momir Basic, where players build a deck using only mana sources and a Momir Vig avatar and battle with randomized creatures from all over ''Magic''. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=182252 Jhoira of the Ghitu]] has a similar effect for instants and sorceries; likewise with [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=182254 Stonehewer Giant]] and equipment.
** The [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=o%3Acascade+e%3Aarb&v=card&s=cname Cascade]] ability from the ''Alara Reborn'' expansion allows you to cast a random spell from your deck for free. There are [[http://tinyurl.com/4xzj6eh a variety of spells with similar randomizing effects.]]
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=9784 Strategy, Schmategy]] has you roll a six-sided die to determine which of five totally unrelated abilities you'll get when you cast it. To up the ante, one of the options is "Roll the die two more times."
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=366248 Unexpected Results]] has you reveal the top card of your library. If it's a land, you put it into play and recycle Unexpected Results. If it's a nonland, you cast that card for free, which can result in crazy SequenceBreaking. And just to ensure that you can't rig the result, your library is shuffled before you reveal the top card.
** The original Creator/MicroProse video game tried to take advantage of the format, with several cards that were created that had effects that were random.
** The ''Unstable'' set has a plethora of cards that require their player to roll six-sided dice to determine various outcomes. Usually it's the magnitude of a statistic, like power, toughness, or damage dealt, but some cards offer perks for particularly good results.
** [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=439525 Urza, Academy Headmaster]] from the ''Unstable'' set is one of the more extreme examples. Every one of his activated abilities directs the player to [[https://magic.wizards.com/en/products/unstable/askurza a website]] which randomly picks one activated ability of a printed planeswalker in all of Magic's history thus far!
* RandomPowerRanking: Experienced in several ways:
** For creatures, everything about them comes down to mana cost, power, toughness, and whether or not they have any keywords or abilities. As such, GameplayAndStorySegregation as well as CCGImportanceDissonance are rampant. One of the most infamous examples is [[http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/Gerrard_Capashen Gerrard Capashen]], the hero of the ''Weatherlight'' saga which spanned across years of the storyline. When he was eventually printed as a [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=209157 card]], it was ''laughably'' underpowered. His card would lose in a straight up fight to most if not all of the foes he defeated over the course of the storyline.
** ImprobablePowerDiscrepancy along with elements of PowerCreep over the course of the [[LongRunner Long Running]] series also contribute. As such, there are countless examples with respect to a creature's stats being disproportionately high or low in relation to other cards. A simple [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129596 Horseshoe Crab]] can defeat [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=221892 a group of armed and trained elven warriors]]. A [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=373578 badass warrior]] of AncientGrome would be defeated by a ''[[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=sanctuary%20cat house cat]]''.
* RatedMForManly: They tried to do this by kicking [[http://www.rebeccaguay.com/ Rebecca Guay]], one of the artists who draws the portraits for the cards, because her art was "too girly". After widespread criticism from fans, they reinstated her. This was lampshaded in the ''Unhinged'' joke set with the cards "[[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Persecute%20Artist Persecute Artist]]" and "[[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Little%20Girl Little Girl]]".
* RealityWarper: Planeswalkers, of course. Being able to travel the Multiverse, summon creatures of massive power (including, as of the ''Theros'' set, ''gods''), use ancient artifacts, and even create their own universe aside from rewriting others. You, the player, are a Planeswalker having a little scuffle with others. The cards represent creatures, spells, and artifacts you can summon into existence using {{Mana}}.
* ReclaimedByNature: This is a fairly common trick for Green magic, due to its focus on nature and growths. Numerous Green spells and instants are themed around natural growth reclaiming article structures and artifacts and nature's eventual ability to wear down and overtake anything built within it. Notable examples include the often-reprinted card [[https://scryfall.com/card/m19/190/naturalize Naturalize]], which can destroy any artifact or enchantment in play and symbolizes the byproducts of civilization being reabsorbed into the natural environment, or [[https://scryfall.com/card/kld/150/creeping-mold Creeping Mold]], based on the idea of natural growth overtaking artificial structures.
-->'''Garruk Wildspeaker:''' When your cities and trinkets crumble, only nature will remain.
* RecursiveAcronym: K.O.T.H. for [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=266362 Koth of the Hammer]].
* TheRedMage: As each color has some fairly significant weaknesses, one strategy to cover for them is to add more colors to the deck. For example, if your mono-Green deck is getting trounced by your opponents "big" creatures, add in some White "removal" to take them out. However, adding additional colors requires adding mana sources (typically basic lands) for those colors as well, and a common result is not being able to play your spells reliably. (You might have the perfect White removal spell in your hand, but only Green-mana producing Forests on the field...) As such, it can be very tricky to find that sweet spot between [[PoorPredictableRock predictable]] mono-colored deck and a [[CripplingOverspecialization cripplingly overspecialzed]] multi-color deck.
* RedshirtArmy:
** Weenie decks can be this sometimes, as your weak creatures take heavy losses but continue trying to swamp the opponent anyway. This is particularly true in the case of tokens; cheap, disposable creatures usually generate en masse from other cards. As an inversion, a particularly successful weenie or token attack with few casualties becomes a ZergRush instead.
** A interesting example is the Eldrazi who use mobs of Eldrazi Spawn Tokens to provide the mana needed for summoning bigger creatures.
* {{Retcon}}: The rules of Magic have undergone many changes, the largest having been the complete overhaul of the game's timing system with the release of Classic Sixth Edition. Cards are frequently given new official wordings ("errata") so that they continue to work properly after each change of rules.
* RiddlingSphinx: This is a standard mechanic for sphinxes:
** The original sphinx, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159309 Petra Sphinx]], had players guess the top card of their libraries. This same guessing game was also used for [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=247319 Conundrum Sphinx]].
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=254108 Sphinx of Uthuun]] gives your opponent choice of which cards to put into your hand. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=430741 Unesh, Sphinx Sovereign]] does the same, but also does it again when you summon other Sphinxes.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=107448 Isperia the Inscrutable]] rewards you if you can correctly guess a card in your opponent's hand. Of course, since they have to reveal their hand if you guess wrong, the riddle is a lot easier the second time.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=191098 Sphinx Ambassador]] secretly chooses one of your opponent's creatures, and if they can't guess which one, you get to steal it.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=383305 Master of Predicaments]] forces your opponent to guess whether a card in your hand has a high or low mana cost. If they guess wrongly, you get that spell for free.
** Even sphinxes who don't have riddle-related gameplay will often reference riddles in their FlavorText, because hey, that's what sphinxes do.
* RingOfPower: Rings are very common artifact items and can grant immense power. The [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=451177 Sol Ring]], being a powerful mana source, is on the banned list. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=397760 Oblivion Ring]] is a favored white "removal" spell. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=82989 Aladdin's Ring]], despite providing the page image, is Subversion in that it's a terrible card. (Four damage for 8 mana is hilariously underpowered.)
* RuleOfCool:
** Both Johnnies and Timmies will play cards just because they do something cool, though for different reasons. Timmies favor individual cards with impressive stats or abilities, while Johnnies favor accomplishing feats deemed AwesomeButImpractical.
** Also sometimes used to justify breaking the rules of card design. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Form%20of%20the%20Dragon Form of the Dragon]] does a lot of things that, in terms of game mechanics, Red spells don't normally do. It's okay, though, because the card TURNS YOU INTO A DRAGON!
** [[http://www.wizards.com/magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/jm38 This quote]] regarding [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=143024 Dragon Roost]] sums things up:
--->"Is there a downside?" \\
"It's pretty expensive." \\
"Who cares? You're making DRAGONS!"
** According to Mark Rosewater, the game has squirrels because [[http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr30 the designers thought they were cool]]. On the flip side, the inherent silliness of squirrels [[http://tmblr.co/ZUrCEtjPX4BH has gotten them repeatedly vetoed by the creative team]] in later expansions.
* SacrificialRevivalSpell: Doomed Necromancers, which are sacrificed to bring back another card from the graveyard.
* SadisticChoice:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=88803 Choice of Damnations]]
** Cards like [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=34382 Skullscorch]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=126812 Dash Hopes]], and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=29763 Lava Blister]] give your opponents the ability to jump in front of them to stop the spell's effect, taking heavy damage instead.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=87992 Perplex]]: if you want to keep your spell, you'll have to discard your hand...
** Effects that cause your opponents to sacrifice a creature (Or any permanent, really). One of them must die...make your choice.
** Played with in the card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=198171 It That Betrays]], which possesses an ability that forces your opponent to sacrifice two permanents whenever it attacks. While this is true of all Eldrazi, It That Betrays resurrects said permanents under your control. Now not only do they choose who they have to let go of, but also watch as it's reborn into your service.
** A number of schemes in Archenemy allow the villain to offer an opponent a choice between "you take a ''big'' effect" and "each of your allies takes a ''smaller'' effect."
** There are a few blue cards, such as [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=247186 Fact or Fiction]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=194971 Gifts Ungiven]], that invert this to an extent--instead of forcing your opponent to choose what they want to lose, it forces them to choose which of a selection of cards they want you to gain.
** Even before New Phyrexia, the Mirrans had [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=212243 Painful Quandary]], which, every time an opponent casts a spell, requires he either discard a card or lose five life. Remember, that's a quarter of your starting life.
** ''Born of the Gods'' introduces the Tribute mechanic, which gives an opponent two options: Either buff your new creature or let it do something nasty.
** ''Hour of Devastation'' has two different flavors of this. The first is a repeated bonus added on the end of a spell, where your opponent loses life unless they discard a card or sacrifice a nonland permanent, giving them the choice of losing a card in hand, card in board, or life. The other is the Afflict mechanic, where you either block it and take damage (and likely lose the blocker), or you don't block it, and take perhaps a little less damage, and probably let your opponent have some beneficial effect.
** ''Conspiracy: Take the Crown'' presents the Council's Dilemma mechanic, where each player votes between two choices, with each choice having an incremental effect for each time it was voted for.
* {{Samurai}}: Seen in the ''Kamigawa'' block.
* ScunthorpeProblem: The problem with [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=194119 Assault Strobe]] and Cumulative upkeep on the Gatherer site. Yes, they're going that far.
* SequenceBreaking: The most fundamental "sequence" in ''Magic'' is the generation of mana. Each turn, you may play one basic land which generates one mana of its associated color when tapped. This generally limits the power of the cards you can get into play early on in the game. Certain cards other than lands sometimes allow for the generation of extra mana, but it is rarely a significant amount and they often have other drawbacks to balance them out. Many of the cards which make up ''Magic''[='s=] banned list are cards which put a disproportionately high amount of mana into the game for a low cost. This includes the infamous [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=382866 Black Lotus]], which brings 3 mana into play for ''zero'' cost (as well as it's numerous "watered down" clones like many of "[[https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Mox Moxes]]" and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=383000 Lion's Eye Diamond]], which despite [[{{Nerf}} being weakened]], were still unbalanced to the point of being broken). The extra mana allows you to [[DiscOneNuke play much more powerful cards much earlier]] than your opponent could reasonably counter.
* SeriousBusiness: TournamentPlay. This makes sense, because Wizards of the Coast provides some ''serious'' prize support. A single tournament can net the winner upwards of $40,000, and they've given away over $25 million in total cash prizes since they started running major tournaments. Several players have lifetime winnings in excess of $100,000, and that doesn't count minor tournaments or free plane trips to exotic foreign locales (though admittedly, you're there to play Magic, so perhaps "dreary foreign convention center floors" would be more accurate). Of course, this trope often appears in full force even when there isn't a pile of cash at stake.
* SerialEscalation:
** Early expansions made a game of one-upping each other, with every other expansion introducing a new "largest creature in the game." First there was the 8/8 [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=150 Force of Nature]] in ''Alpha'', then the 9/9 [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1002 Colossus of Sardia]] in ''Antiquities'', then the 10/10 [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1756 Leviathan]] in ''The Dark'', then ''Ice Age''[='s=] 11/11 [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2525 Polar Kraken]], and finally the 12/12 [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3263 Phyrexian Dreadnought]] in ''Mirage''. The process was spoofed in ''Unglued'''s [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=9844 B.F.M. (Big Furry Monster)]], a 99/99 creature so big that he takes up two cards and wears "[[ContinuityNod krakens and dreadnoughts for jewelry]]", and it was nostalgically revisited in ''Coldsnap'', which introduced [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=121198 Jokulmorder]], a 12/12, as a nod to the set's gimmick of supposedly predating ''Mirage''. \\
\\
It didn't stop there. In ''Legions'' there was the 13/13 [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=35166 Krosan Cloudscraper]], followed by the 9/14 [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=89096 Autochthon Wurm]] in ''Ravnica'', and finally either the 15/15 [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193452 Emrakul, The Aeons Torn]] in ''Rise of the Eldrazi'' or the 10/10-that-can-turn-into-a-20/20-if-you-pay-it-10-more-mana [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=373555 Colossus of Akros]] in ''Theros''.
** ''Unglued'' had cards with both [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=9757 the longest]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=9781 the shortest]] names in the game at that time. Not to be outdone, ''Unhinged'' introduced [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74237 a card whose name is so long it wraps completely around all four sides of the card]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74252 a card with no name at all]].
** ''Unglued'' also contained the card(s) with the largest mana cost, the aforementioned [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=9844 B.F.M.]], whose 15 black mana symbols stretched across the entire top line of the card. Once again, ''Unhinged'' decided to top it with [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=73947 Gleemax]], a card which costs 1,000,000 mana. Yes, that's one million mana. I hope you brought your [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74323 Mox Lotus]].
* SetBonus:
** The [[FanNickname Urzatron]], a set of three lands ([[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220947 Urza's Mine]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220957 Urza's Tower]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220954 Urza's Power Plant]]) first printed in ''Antiquities''. If you control one or two of the set, they each produce one colorless. Control all three, and two of them produce two colorless and the Tower produces three.
** [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=empires+e%3Am12&v=card&s=cname The Empires artifacts]] in M12.
** If you have all three [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=kaldra&v=card&s=cname Kaldra equipment]] in play, you can summon Kaldra to wield them.
** From the ''Fifth Dawn'' set comes the four Stations ([[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=51131 Blasting Station]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=51229 Grinding Station]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=51132 Salvaging Station]], and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=72858 Summoning Station]]), which can deal infinite damage when you have them all in play. According to Magic's R&D, it was the first "I win" combo they ever made intentionally.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370772 Festering Newt]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370758 Bogbrew Witch]], and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370661 Bubbling Cauldron]]. The Newt's effect is stronger with the Witch, can be fetched by the Witch, and can be specially sacrificed to the Cauldron... just like in a witch's brew.
** If you use [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=369038 Maze's End]] to get all 10 different Guildgates on the board, you automatically win the game.
** The ‘Module’ cycle of artifacts from ''Kaladesh'', while not explicitly tieing into each other, apart from the names, do directly feed into each other. The [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=417767 Animation Module]] allows you pay mana to create a colorless 1/1 Servo token artifact creature whenever you create a +1/+1 counter while allowing you to pay mana to duplicate ''any'' counter on any card or player (including energy counters). The [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=417778 Decoction Module]] produces an energy counter whenever a creature enters the battlefield while letting you pay mana to return a creature to a player’s hand. The [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=417784 Fabrication Module]] creates a +1/+1 counter whenever you gain energy counters and allows you to pay mana to gain an energy counter. This can lead you to produce beefed up Servos and a store of energy counters in a near endless assembly line, as long as you have the mana and turns (or a repeatable untapping ability) to pay for it. And that doesn't include having ''multiple copies'' of each module. Even the cards' flavor text draws attention to the connection:
--->''Design leads to progress.''\\
''Progress leads to inspiration.''\\
''Inspiration leads to design.''
* ShoutOut:
** The ''Time Spiral'' set consisted entirely of cards that referenced other cards printed earlier. For an comprehensive list to [[ReferenceOverdosed (most of?) the call-backs]] check: [[http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/Time_Spiral/Trivia Here]], [[http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/Planar_Chaos/Trivia here]] and [[http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/Future_Sight/Trivia here]].
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=212637 Nevinyrral's Disk]] is a direct reference to the "Warlock's Wheel" from Creator/LarryNiven's ''Literature/TheMagicGoesAway'' series, up to and including using his name in reverse.
** The unreleased ''Unglued 2'' set was slated to contain a card called [[Series/{{Jeopardy}} "Jeopardy"]], with [[http://media.wizards.com/images/magic/daily/arcana/658_jeopardy.jpg this art]].
** The flavor text of the ''Tempest'' card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4737 Time Warp]] is "[[Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow Let's do it again!]]"
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=153478 Belligerent Hatchling]] is a dog with bees in its mouth and when it barks it shoots bees at you--referencing a memorable line from the ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Simpsons]]'' episode "Burns' Heir".
** The card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Discussion.aspx?multiverseid=220378 Creepy Doll]] is, by admission of [[WordOfGod MaRo]], a reference to the Music/JonathanCoulton song of the same name.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=229964 Grave Bramble]] was inspired by ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies''. Its playtest name was "Tall-Nut." This also makes it a recursive ShoutOut: George Fan, head designer of ''[=PvZ=]'', admits to taking some inspiration from ''[=MtG=]''.[[note]]Incidentally, it's also an example of the old BeamMeUpScotty trope; Grave Bramble functions more like a Wall-nut, the main StoneWall in a game full of {{Glass Cannon}}s, than a Tall-nut, which can block as though it had flying.[[/note]]
*** M15's [[http://i.imgur.com/9Zd7TGl.png Genesis Hydra]] was designed by George Fan himself, and it shows. The creature is a plant hydra, that is seen devouring zombies in its art.
** The ''Magic 2013 Core Set'' printing of [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=265715 Unsummon]] finally answers [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} Hamlet's question]].
** The famous [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=382866 Black Lotus]] calls back to the original ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian'' stories, where in at least one the black lotus's pollen was described as used to revive a wizard's dark powers (as well as induce horrible nightmares).
** The card "Aggressive Mining" was designed by Markus "Notch" Persson, and its art depicts [[VideoGame/{{Minecraft}} a very blocky quarry.]]
* SimpleYetAwesome:
** While the game has numerous big, flashy spells and humongous, powerful creatures, the ''very best'' cards tend to be low in mana cost with very simple effects such as [[http://magiccards.info/al/en/48.html "draw three cards"]], [[http://magiccards.info/al/en/232.html "add three mana to your mana pool"]], [[http://magiccards.info/al/en/84.html "take an extra turn after this one"]], or [[http://magiccards.info/al/en/162.html "deal 3 damage to target creature or player"]]. Even [[http://magiccards.info/chk/en/19.html creatures with no abilities at all]] can be awesome.
** A general rule for the metagame, especially the Legacy format, is that the best spells are the ones with cheap costs and good effects. Due largely to the effects of PowerCreep over the game's [[LongRunner 20+ years of existence]], this means that the vast majority of "playable" or "optimal" spells in Legacy cost either 1 or 2 mana. In all these cases, the effects are generally simple yet absurdly devastating: 1 Black Mana: Lose 2 life, look at your opponent's hand, and they discard any one non-Land card you choose; 2 Blue: Counter target spell; etc.
** There is an entire deck archetype based on this principle: [[PlayingWithFire Mono-Red Burn]]. The deck contains exactly 17 Mountains, 3 Mountain-like lands that can burn, and no less than 24 effective copies the same card - spend 1 red mana to deal 3 damage to your opponent. Remember Lightning Bolt up there? The main reason ''Magic'' even has the four-copy limit for an individual card was to keep people from playing what was dubbed "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The 40 Lightning Bolt Special]]" which is this trope taken to its logical conclusion.
* SingleUseShield: The regeneration mechanic. Regenerating a creature gives it a single-use shield that saves it the next time it would be destroyed.
* SkillGateCharacters: Pre-packaged starter and event decks qualify. While they're perfectly functional when played against other such decks, they'll get absolutely crushed on the competitive scene, where custom decks rule the day.
* SlidingScaleOfObjectiveVsSubjectiveGames: Wizards makes every attempt to keep the game as close to the "objective" side as is humanly possible. However, subjective elements still sneak in once the sets are in the hands of thousands of players around the world. Abuses of [[LoopholeAbuse loopholes]] and "ExactWords" are especially prominent. Essentially, actually ''breaking'' the rules would be cheating, but there is nothing to stop you from pushing your ''interpretation'' of the rules for an advantage.
* SoloTabletopGame: The ''Theros'' Block has three self-operating Challenge Decks: ''Face the Hydra'', ''Battle the Horde'', and ''Journey into Nyx''. These could be faced either co-cooperatively or solo.
* SpellMyNameWithABlank: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74252 _____]]
* {{Splat}}: ''Magic'' initially just called its splats "subtypes", and that term is still in common use, but with 8th Edition it also instituted a more formalized system of "races" and "classes". Every creature card has a race subtype (Human, Goblin, Elf, etc.), and those printed before this rule have been errata'd to have a race; many also have a class subtype (Wizard, Warrior, etc.), but this is optional. Interestingly, some ''noncreature'' cards also have splats, such as tribal noncreature cards that have a creature type, or lands that have a land type (Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, or Forest).
* StandardStatusEffects: Many of the basics are covered appear as spells, ablities, or keywords including but not limited to [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205119 Silence]], the keyword "Fear" or "Menace", and the (primarily white) "Removal" cards.
* StarPower: A few "Star" artifacts offer this power in the form of mana. For example, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=135279 Chromatic Star]] adds one mana of any color while [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1415 North Star]] allows you to cast a spell by paying its cost with any type of mana.
* StoneWall: Creatures with the defender ability can't attack, and generally have low power and high toughness. Most examples from Magic's history are actual Wall creatures, and for a long time [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=45368 Wall of Stone]] was the most extreme example, having 0 power but a whopping 8 toughness.
* StraightForTheCommander:
** Built into the game. You cannot command your creatures to attack your opponent's at all. Instead, you can only attack your opponent (or planeswalkers) directly. Your opponent then has the choice to use their creatures to block your attack. Numerous methods exist to help you ensure that your creatures' attacks hit your opponent without being blocked by the enemy creatures. Even just for keyword examples alone, there is flying, landwalk, intimidate, trample, shadow, unblockable, and protection. And keywords are hardly the only options.
** Defeating a player causes all permanents they own to cease existing, and anything they took with a "change control" effect would return to their owners. In large games with multiple opponents, sometimes the best way to deal with an oppressive board state to eliminate the player commanding them.
** On the creature-level, this is the counter to so-called "tribal" decks - the "Lords" (creatures that give a boost to all friendly creatures of a given type, so-called because they used to have the type "Lord") provide stat boosts, cost breaks, special abilities, or some combination of the above to their allies. Eliminating them produces a meaningful reduction to the power of the remaining enemy creatures.
* StrategyGuide: Very common online; as the game constantly changes, it's essential for even the most basic TournamentPlay.
* StrategySchmategy: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=9784 This card]] is the TropeNamer.
* SummoningArtifact:
** Kaldra's equipment. When his [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=48582 shield]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=48583 sword]], and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=47449 helm]] are brought together, they summon an avatar-equivalent of their original owner.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=197881 The Eye of Ugin]] acts as this for the Eldrazi.
** A variety of minor artifacts like [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=51075 Summoner's Egg]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=237006 Quicksilver Amulet]] fill this role.
* SummoningRitual:
** The cards [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370540 Peer Through Depths]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370506 Reach Through Mists]], and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=50459 Sift Through Sands]]. Casting them all in one turn allows you to summon [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=78693 The Unspeakable]]. Each of the three spells even has an effect that helps you find the other two.
** The card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=42077 Dark Supplicant]]. With it you can sacrifice three Clerics and summon a [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220588 Scion of Darkness]].
** Similarly, the herald cycle in Shards of Alara ([[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=175141 Angel's Herald]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=175242 Sphinx's Herald]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=175243 Demon's Herald]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=175239 Dragon's Herald]], and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=175263 Behemoth's Herald]]) allows you to sacrifice creatures from each of a shard's color to summon a specific large creature.
* SummonMagic:
** This is what is represented when you play creature cards. Essentially, you are using mana to summon them into existence.
** Specific cards can further summon additional creatures, usually in the form of tokens. For example, when [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=12458 Deranged Hermit]] comes into play, it further summons four 1/1 squirrel tokens.
* SuperSmoke: Several examples:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=397497 Gaseous Form]] is a creature enchantment which prevents the target creature from taking damage, but also makes it unable to deal damage as well. This may sound like a bum deal, but its helpful to cast on creatures who you need more for [[UtilityPartyMember their abilities]] than as attackers.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=23018 Urborg Phantom]] is a creature who can activate this ability at will.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=158752 Turn to Mist]] takes it to the next level, temporarily exiling the creature from the game and returning it at the end of the turn.
* SupportPartyMember: Creatures with the "Defender" keyword cannot attack, but often have abilities that grant you bonuses or weaken your opponent. For example, see [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220045 One-Eyed Scarecrow]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=432999 Orator of Ojutai]], etc.
* SurplusDamageBonus:
** Typically averted when attacking with creatures. No matter how much power your creature has, it can be blocked by any creature your opponent controls. The defending creature will be destroyed if it has lower toughness than your attacking creature, but the surplus damage is lost. Blocking particularly powerful creatures with low toughness creatures is known as "chump blocking" on the competitive scene.
** One major exception are creatures with the "Trample" ability. Creatures with Trample deal surplus damage directly to their opponent's life.
* SwitchOutMove:
** The "Ninjutsu" mechanic, which lets you swap one attacker for another, mid-combat.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=96924 AEtherplasm]] does this whenever it blocks.
** Creatures with the "champion" ability exile other creatures you control when they enter the battlefield. When the champion creature dies, the original critter is returned to the field.
* TacticalRockPaperScissors:
** Present in the three standard categories of tournament decks: aggressive, combination, or control (aggro, combo, and control). Sometimes decks can play as either of two roles, but not as well as a deck truly dedicated to that role. The three roles fall into a rock-paper-scissors scenario: Aggro decks play multiple redundant threats to keep the pressure on and overwhelm Control decks. Combo decks use cards that are individually relatively weak but synergize to create powerful effects that can overcome even the strong threats from an Aggro deck. Control decks focus on defense foremost and use card-removal effects to dismantle combos — if a Control deck removes one part of a three-card combo, it cripples the whole combo, while removing one of three Aggro deck cards will leave the other two to continue attacking. So basically: Control < Combo < Aggro < Control.
** Distinct from the "roles" of the tournament decks are the metagaming nature of the decks, which similarly fall into three categories. Despite steps taken toward balance with each block, there always arises one or two dominant "tier 1" decks. As they become dominant, "counter" decks are created with the specific goal of defeating the dominant decks. As these two balace each other out, there then arises "rogue" decks which will be beaten by the dominant decks, but can defeat the counter decks which are so specialized for countering the dominant decks that they cannot adapt to the new threats posed by the rogue deck. So basically: Rogue < Counter < Dominant < Rogue.
* TakingYouWithMe: Any spell that deals damage to both you and an opponent such as [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=190551 Earthquake]] or [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=21149 Pestilence]] can be used for this. Additionally, there are creatures which can kill themselves to take out other creatures, or to hurl damage directly at an opponent.
* {{Technopath}}: A common trait of "artificer" creatures, whose abilities typically allow them to manipulate, modify, and/or create artifacts using magic. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=mishra%2C%20artificer%20prodigy Mishra, Artificer Prodigy]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=51055 Slobad, Goblin Tinkerer]] are notable examples.
* TechTree: The [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=o%3Alevel+o%3Aup&v=card&s=cname Level up]] mechanic from ''Rise of the Eldrazi'' functions as a TechTree, allowing you to invest additional resources into one of your creatures to upgrade it with new abilities.
* TeleportationSickness: Summoning sickness, which prevents creatures from tapping and attacking on the turn they're summoned. The story justifies it as a form of great nausea. Averted by creatures with Haste.
* TentacledTerror: [[http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/mm/60 Mark Rosewater's description]] of the origin of [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=191369 Lorthos, the Tidemaker]] (the legendary Octopus from ''Zendikar'') fits the trope quite well.
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=134740 Shivan Meteor]] is a prime example.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=435315 Star of Extinction]] goes even further.
* TimeStandsStill: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129898 Time Stop]]. Some versions of blue's ExtraTurn spells work like this as well.
* TooAwesomeToUse: The very first edition included the ante system, which allowed the winner of the match to ''take some of the loser's cards''. This made players very reluctant to add very rare, powerful cards to a deck.
* TooDumbToFool: Players usually keep mana unspent for instants which can be used to react to the opponent's plays. For instance, two untapped islands typically means the player's saving mana for a counterspell. Experienced players who are aware of this would typically play more cautiously, and those who know it can deliberately keep mana unspent to fake having a response in reserve. This bluffing tactic can fail against beginners, who are ''too inexperienced'' at the game to know what to be wary of.
* TookALevelInBadass: [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=o%3A%22flip%22+%28e%3Asok%2Fen+or+e%3Abok%2Fen+or+e%3Achk%2Fen%29&s=cname&v=card&p=1 Flip cards]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=236456 Figure of Destiny]], and [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=o%3Alevel+o%3Aup&v=card&s=cname leveler creatures]] turn it into a game mechanic. Double-faced transform cards in Innistrad also fit the bill.
* TouchOfDeath:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4225 Hand of Death]], naturally. It allows you to destroy any non-black creature.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3883 Touch of Death]] subverts it, as it is unlikely to actually kill anything.
** The AwesomeButImpractical [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=106427 Phage the Untouchable]] has this. Anything she attacks is not only destroyed, but also cannot be regenerated.
** Any damage done by a creature with the keyword "Deathtouch" is automatically destroyed, no matter how tough it is.
** The keyword "Wither" is a downplayed example. Creatures with Wither don't deal damage normally. Instead, any damage they deal is delivered in the form of -1/-1 counters on the target creature. For example if a 1/1 creature with Wither attacks a 2/2 creature, that 2/2 creature has a -1/-1 counter placed on it.
* TournamentPlay: Sponsored by the game's creators.
* TransformationIsAFreeAction: The Morph capacity. Free in term of timing as it don't use the stack so one can't do anything to respond its use.
* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=376321 Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder]] allows you to easily produce large numbers of Thrull tokens. However, if you have too many at once, they revolt and kill him.
* TurnsRed: Dark Ascension features Undying (for creatures), and Fateful Hour (for players).
* TurtlePower: Turtles are classic [[StoneWall low power/high toughness]] creatures which, unusually for most creatures, can be found as both Blue and Green with regularity. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=397526 Horned Turtle]] is a classic example, while others include the plain ol' [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1528 Giant Turtle]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=221565 Giant Tortoise]]. The ''slowest'' turtle is the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=386602 Meandering Towershell]], which moves so slowly that whenever it attacks, it takes a turn to actually reach your opponent.
* UnblockableAttack: The "fear" and "intimidate" keywords cause this. Fear, most common on black creatures, prevents non-black and non-artifact creatures from blocking its attacks. Intimidate works similarly, preventing creatures other than those who share a color with the attacking creature (and, again, artifact creatures) from blocking.
* UnderratedAndOverleveled: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=31825 Psychatog]] is a mere ''uncommon'', three mana, 1/2 creature...who can also quickly become one of the devastating creatures in the game. By discarding cards from your hand, removing cards from your graveyard, or a combination thereof, you can beef Psychatog up with +1/+1 counters. Its superb offensive and defensive potential let it assert aggressive pressure all by itself, which frees up space for more reactive cards to shut down an opposing deck before it can get rolling—and since it synergizes well with card draw and mill, it also fits well into decks designed to "go off" very quickly. Further, since it can consume an entire graveyard and hand, it can easily reach 20/20 late in the game (drop an [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Upheaval Upheaval]] and you have a OneHitKO on your hands). Finally, if all of that power potential alone doesn't do it for you, its abilities to discard and/or remove at will benefit all sorts of decks, including those built around the [[https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Madness Madness]] keyword or [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159249 Animate Dead]], just to name a few.
* UnholyNuke: Numerous black spells qualify. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=122423 Damnation]] is the most straightforward example, being the black EvilCounterpart to the white HolyHandGrenade [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129808 Wrath of God]]. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=plague+wind Plague Wind]] is similar, but destroys only your ''opponent''[='s=] creatures (and thus [[AwesomeButImpractical costs a lot more mana]]).
* TheUnreveal: Mark Rosewater loves to do this. For example, he once replaced most of the words in a spoiler laden paragraph with [[{{Smurfing}} the word "goblin"]].
-->''Goblin of the Goblins'' is going to be a goblin built around the Goblin goblins, all of which have no goblin and are goblin. For example, there are two Goblins at goblin, the goblin of which is 7/7. All of the Goblins have a new goblin called goblin. Goblins with goblin have a goblin; whenever a goblin with goblin goblins, the goblin goblin must goblin that many goblins. The Goblins are very goblin but there are goblins that can create 0/1 goblins called Goblin Goblin that can be goblin to goblin one goblin goblin to your goblin goblin and will help you be able to goblin the Goblins. In addition, the goblin has a new goblin called goblin goblin. You may spend goblin on goblin with goblin goblin to improve their goblins and goblins. This Limited goblin is much goblin than the one in ''Goblin''.
:: This is what it actually says:
-->''Rise of the Eldrazi'' is going to be a set built around the Eldrazi creatures, all of which have no color and are giant. For example, there are two Eldrazi at common, the smaller of which is 7/7. All of the Eldrazi have a new keyword called annihilator. Creatures with annihilator have a number; whenever a creature with annihilator attacks, the defending player must sacrifice that many permanents. The Eldrazi are very expensive but there are cards that can create 0/1 tokens called Eldrazi Spawn that can be sacrificed to add one colorless mana to your mana pool and will help you be able to cast the Eldrazi. In addition, the set has a new ability called level up. You may spend mana on creatures with level up to improve their stats and abilities. This Limited environment is much slower than the one in ''Zendikar''.
* UnskilledButStrong: Possible to build "raw power" decks in this fashion. They're typically full of strong creatures but little else. If allowed to get up a full head of steam, they can be surprisingly difficult to counter.
* UrbanLegendOfZelda:
** Throat Wolf, a creature that supposedly had "firstest strike", made the rounds in the early days of the game, before cardlists (not to mention the internet) were available. More than 20 years later, [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=476195the card]] was {{Defictionalized}} in the "Mystery Booster" set, a gimmick set wherein all cards have visual design which makes them look like prototypes being tested by Wizards R&D.
** A joke article in Inquest Magazine offered some crude mock-ups of "purple mana" cards. This didn't stop people from calling card stores demanding to buy them. (Wizards would later flirt with the idea of purple cards as part of a special set, but it never got off the drawing board.)
** The guy who tore up his [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=603 Chaos Orb]], inspiring the ''Unglued'' card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=5712 Chaos Confetti]].
* UriahGambit: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=197869 Abyssal Persecutor]] prevents its controller from winning the game as long as it's in play, so you'd better have one of these planned.
* UtilityPartyMember: The creatures in most "Combo" and "Control" decks qualify. Rarely are they chosen for their power and toughness. Instead, they are included for the abilities they possess to synergize with the other cards in the deck.
* VendorTrash:
** The series has ''many'' "Junk Rares"; cards that are indeed rare but have no real competitive value. Their rarity means they can still be sold for a pretty penny, but they usually go to collectors looking to fill out their collection rather than competitive players seeking to actually use them.
** In the ''Shandalar'' computer game, this is the only realistic source of early-game gold; always accept cards when winning a battle, then find the nearest town and sell the bad ones.
* WalkingWasteland:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=phage+the+untouchable Phage the Untouchable]] is a prominent example. Bringing her into play by any means other than casting her from your hand causes you to lose the game immediately. Whenever she deals damage to a creature, even if said creature would have enough toughness to survive, [[OneHitKill it is destroyed]] and [[AntiRegeneration cannot be regenerated]]. Finally, if she deals damage to a player, that player automatically loses the game.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=cabal+patriarch Cabal Patriarch]] adds -2/-2 counters to target creatures, which is activated by sacrificing creatures or by exiling cards from your graveyard.
** Creatures with the keywords "deathtouch" and "wither" also qualify. Those with deathtouch automatically kill any creature they damage. Those with wither add -1/-1 counters to creatures they damage on top of whatever damage they do.
* WeakButSkilled: Some of the best, most useful creatures in the game are this. They may have low power and low toughness, but have abilities (draw extra cards, add additional lands to the field, search your deck for specific things, etc.) which make them ''invaluable''.
* WeaksauceWeakness: The reason that most large creatures ultimately fall under AwesomeButImpractical is because they can easily be dealt with simple, cheap, and ubiquitous spells like the one-mana [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=UNSUMMON Unsummon]]. A great specific example is Marit Lage, an ancient EldritchAbomination summoned from [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=dark+depths Dark Depths]] who, at 20/20, is capable of killing a planeswalker in a single hit, and who requires ''30 mana'' to summon under normal circumstances, can be undone with a simple ''Unsummon''.
* WeaponOfXSlaying: The [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=401911 Hedron Blade]] grants its wielder the [[OneHitKill Deathtouch]] ability in combat with colorless creatures. Flavor-wise this is likely meant to deal with [[EldritchAbomination the Eldrazi]], but in practice it works just as well against the vast majority of artifact creatures (Eldrazi and most artifact creatures are colorless).
* WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1544 Shelkin Brownie's]] special ability is to remove the "Bands with other" ability from creatures. In the history of ''Magic'', there are ''two'' cards with the "Bands from other" ability: the 1/1 tokens created by [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1534 Master of the Hunt]], and the ''Unhinged'' card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74235 Old Fogey]], which is illegal in every format and only has the ability as a joke (the only creatures he can band with, aside from creatures that have the regular Banding ability, are other copies of himself). Oh, plus a [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=o%3Aband+o%3Awith+o%3Aother+c%3Al&v=card&s=cname cycle of lands]] that are serious contenders for "Worst card in the game" and probably shouldn't count. Good old Shelkin Brownie, keeping the world safe from four-mana [=1/1s=] and legendary lands that don't produce mana!
** The infamously bad card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1615 Great Wall]] is an enchantment that stops creatures with the Plainswalk ability. At the time of its printing, this included exactly two cards, both of them craptastic: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159314 Righteous Avengers]], a 3/1 for 5 mana with no other abilities; and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2807 Giant Slug]], which could only gain Plainswalk by paying 5 mana a turn. Good thing we built that wall, right?
* WhenIWasYourAge: The Unhinged Parody set has [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74235 Old Fogey]] and its accompanying flavor text.
-->These kids today with their collector numbers and their newfangled tap symbol. Twenty [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=600 Black Lotuses]] and 20 [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3871 Plague Rats]]. Now that's real '''Magic'''.
* WhiteMagic: A specialty of white magic, naturally. Many white cards are geared toward healing and protection, without the nasty side-effects or drawbacks other colors have for the same effects, as well as non-fatally disabling or pacifying opponents (typically referred to as "removal"). It also contains its fair share of {{Holy Hand Grenade}}s to eliminate threats.
* WoodenStake: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=226880 Wooden Stake]] adds +1/0 to the creature equipping it, and also allows it to OneHitKO vampire creatures.
* TheWorfEffect: On a metagame level. When new sets are released, they frequently contain cards which exist to counter the dominant strategies of the previous set. A player trying to use the old strategy against a player with the new cards will quickly find that their strategy has become a WorfBarrage.
* XanatosGambit:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=24589 Rhystic Study]] / [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159831 Mystic Remora]]: If they pay the mana, they have that much less. If they don't, well, you get another card.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=29936 Standstill]]: They play spells, you draw a whopping three cards. They don't play spells, you get an advantage provided you built your deck around this being beneficial.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=88803 Choice of Damnations]]: Your opponent chooses a number, and you then decide whether he loses that many life points or keeps that many permanents, while the rest is sacrificed. (A low number would mean that your opponent loses almost all of his cards, and a high number would mean a large life loss.)
** Mass creature removal, such as [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129808 Wrath of God]]: Control decks use these mostly against aggro, so aggro players will find themselves having to restrain their use of creatures, lest they all be wiped by a single card. But if he doesn't ZergRush, he may be heading for a long game, which is when control decks excel.
** Various creatures have effects if they're blocked, punishing the blocking player. Of note is [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=46080 Slith Strider]], which has an ability that triggers when it's blocked, and one that triggers when it deals combat damage to a player.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=194256 Ichorclaw Myr]]: Take the attack and gain a [[NonStandardGameOver poison counter]] (possibly more if it gets buffed), sacrifice a low-toughness creature to absorb the attack, or have a big beastie suffer a sizable, permanent power/toughness loss.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=214386 Phyrexian Obliterator cruelly employs this trope]]. While its earlier counterpart, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=207891 Phyrexian Negator]], actually encouraged the opponent to deal damage to it so that the controller would have to sacrifice something, Obliterator turns that around and makes it so that whoever's responsible for the damage has to sacrifice permanents. It can be a pain for your opponent to get rid of without causing its ability to go off. Oh--it's also an undercosted trampler, so they'll have to block it and/or destroy it, or it'll destroy them in 4 turns flat.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=278257 Vexing Devil]] gives the enemy player a choice of either being punched in the face by a uber-lightning bolt, or having to face down a 4/3 on turn 2. For the record, a creature was considered tournament-worthy if it could get down as a 3/2 on turn 2.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=402101 Zulaport Cutthroat]] is popular for its ability to create these, especially during the final stages of the game: [[HeadsIWinTailsYouLose Either your opponent blocks your creatures and takes lethal damage from Cutthroat's effect or they don't block and take lethal damage from attacks.]] Of course, one can TakeAThirdOption by killing Cutthroat with a removal card before combat.
* YeahShot: Used in [[http://www.wizards.com/mtg/images/daily/events/ptdka12/sat_304.jpg a photo]] from the official coverage of Day 3 of the Pro Tour: Dark Ascension tournament; it's a group shot of the Top 8 all in mid-jump.
* YourMindMakesItReal: The entire point of the Illusion tribe of creatures. They can kill other creatures and deal damage to players and planeswalkers just like any other creature, but if they are targeted by ''[[WeaksauceWeakness anything]]'', [[PuffOfLogic they die.]]
* YoureNothingWithoutYourPhlebotinum: Some cards, such as the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Primalcrux Primalcrux]] for example, have variable power and toughness which change based on things like the power of the other cards you have on the field or the amount of lands you have played.
* ZergRush:
** As mentioned above, aggro decks, especially "weenie" decks. Most (in)famous are Goblins (the Little Red Men), White Weenie (soldiers, knights, and birds of prey), and the ''Mirrodin'' block's Ravager Affinity (a rapid-fire Game-Breaker-laden deck which can inflict sudden death very rapidly on a good opening hand).
** [[http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/deck/636 Kuldotha Red]]. Capable of (potentially) producing as many as seven creatures in turn one.
** Single-card examples include [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?id=83292 Swarm of Rats]], among others.
** Token-based decks revolve around cards that create multiple creatures at once. After gathering a large enough army, the little minions are usually either [[http://magiccards.info/pc2/en/72.html given a mass buff]] or [[http://magiccards.info/tp/en/179.html sacrificed for a positive effect]] in order to finish the opponent.
** Relentless Rats. Not only do they gain power and toughness for every other Relentless Rats card in play, you can have as many of them in your deck as you want. With ten of these things, that's enough to completely overwhelm most opponents.
* ZombieGait: Evoked with some of the ''Innistrad'' zombies. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=226747 Diregraf Ghoul]] is a good example--it comes into play tapped to represent its slow gait. M11's [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205047 Rotting Legion]] does the same thing. Parodied with [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=439443 Extremely Slow Zombie]], which is so slow that it suffers from an inverse ActionInitiative -- nearly anything can hit it before it hits back.
* ZombifyTheLiving: The card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=175070 Skeletonize]] burns away a creature's flesh and (assuming three damage will kill it) leaves behind an undead skeleton under your command.
[[/folder]]

----

* DangerousForbiddenTechnique: Applies to a few combo decks, especially combos that are CastFromHitPoints. (Channel-Fireball is a good old-school example: you pay all of your life, but the resulting fireball kills your opponent in one shot.) What makes them so dangerous is the likelihood that if they fail to kill the opponent dead then and there, the [[CherryTapping Cherriest of Taps]] will be your doom.

* {{Counterspell}}: [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=o%3A%22counter+target%22+o%3Aspell+t%3A%22instant%22&v=card&s=cname Loads and loads of examples]], including the TropeNamer. Each card in a player's deck is considered a spell, and cards with the type "Instant" (or the deprecated "Interrupt") may be played in response to other spells -- such as those your opponent tries to play. The modern standard for counterspells in ''Magic'' is Cancel -- as in, "I cancel your spell."

* CripplingOverspecialization: Many combo decks can fall prey to this. Each is generally built to set up one specific combination of cards, but if one of those cards is destroyed, they are left with a sub-par deck. Combo decks are strong vs. "raw power/aggro" decks because comboed cards will dismantle an equal number of individual cards without synergy (even though said cards tend to be stronger individually), and are vulnerable to control decks that systematically block or remove the components of a combo.

* CriticalStatusBuff: The ''Dark Ascension'' expansion has some cards with the Fateful Hour mechanic. These cards have additional effects which activate if you have 5 or less life remaining.

** Cards from the silly, silver-bordered sets ''Unglued'', ''Unhinged'' and ''Unstable'' aren't tournament-legal, but can be surprisingly effective at the kitchen table.

** Wizards has also identified ''complexity'' creep as an issue. The rules needed to deal with thousands of different cards make for an [[DoorStopper imposing document]]. The spiraling increases in complexity put the game at risk of being impossible for any potential customer to understand. To combat this, they createdthe Type 2 (or Standard) format, which is theoretically immune to both power creep and complexity creep as only the last two years of cards are allowed, so that power creep/seep relative to older cards doesn't matter.

* ComebackMechanic: The randomness inherent in a shuffled deck of cards provides a natural comeback mechanic when combined with the mana system: it's always possible for your opponent to hit a string of unlucky draws.

*** One early tournament, before the rule placing a four card limit on everything but basic lands, was one by a player who loaded up his deck with nothing but [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Discussion.aspx?multiverseid=271 Swords to Plowshares]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=166 Llanowar Elves]], Plains, and Forests. Eventually, his opponents would be out of creatures and at a ridiculous life total. Then in went the elves...60...59...58...57...
*** One tournament match had a player with a [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3857 Lord of the Pit]] based deck square off against a player with a [[http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/05-02-18-clone-deck/ Clone]] based deck. The Clone player was basically stuck either allowing his opponent to drain his life with direct attacks from Lord of the Pit, or he Clone it, but wouldn't be able to pay it's upkeep, and would then be killed by his own cloned Lord of the Pit...

** While it's entirely possible to build decks on a budget, Magic is ''expensive'' for the serious player or collector. Prices for tournament-winning, in-print single cards have routinely exceeded $20, and sometimes even approached/exceeded $100. On top of that, the most popular and common tournament formats rotate new sets in and old sets out each year, serving the dual function of keeping the game fresh and keeping Wizards in business selling new cards.

* BoringButPractical: Several examples:
** Some of the best cards in the game have very simple effects, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=212636 but]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=728 are]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=630 absurdly cheap.]] (The latter two are banned in competitive play.)
** The metagame has long been dominated by big flashy spells and creatures. At some point, someone had the idea to build a deck focusing on cheap, easy to summon creatures that most serious players ignored, known as "Weenies." The idea being that a big, flashy spell which takes a long time to set up is no good if that player has already been defeated by a ZergRush of weenies. A few nearly one-sided tournaments later, the "weenie" archetype that we (Magic players) all know and love was born.
** Blue-White control decks takes this trope to its most literal meaning. With a slew of cheap blue counterspells and white removal, you effectively render your opponent impotent throughout the entire match while either digging up your own combo or pinging him with consistent yet hard to remove damage. As expected, when your opponent has to face the likes of [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=render+silent&v=card&s=cname Render Silent]] and [[http://magiccards.info/m14/en/35.html Silence]] every single turn, it gets hilariously annoying and boring for them, especially if you just wiped the field (so they don't have any existing stuff to use either).

* BattleCry: A keyword ability in ''Mirrodin Besieged''. For example: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=214064 Hero of Bladehold]].

** Several cards unleash massive power IF you are able to get (at least) one of each mana color into play. Examples include [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=109718 Coalition Victory]], which results in an automatic victory; [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=135242 Legacy Weapon]], which removes one permanent from the game; [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=288992 Door to Nothingness]], which causes your opponent to automatically lose the game; and [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370405 Progenitus]], a 10/10 legendary creature with protection from everything.

** [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=o%3A%22is+dealt+to+target+creature+or+player+instead%22&v=card&s=cname Many cards]] (usually white) work as damage reflectors for you or your creatures.
** A few other cards (usually [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=378368 red]] or [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=290288 blue cards]]) allow you to redirect nasty spells off your permanents or yourself, and sic them onto your opponent or their stuff. (Alternatively, you can redirect beneficial spells from their targets to yours.)

** ''Shadowmoor'' block had Persist, and ''Innistrad'' has Undying, both of which are abilities that return dying creatures to play with a counter on it (-1/-1 and +1/+1 respectively), if it didn't already have one.

* AsteroidsMonster: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=271195 Mitotic Slime]]

* AnimateDead: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159249 Is a card]], and there are many others with similar effects as well.

** The Gatherer text for [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Winter%20Orb Winter Orb]] returned to it an old, old rule; in old editions of ''Magic'', any Artifact could be tapped to "switch off" its effects, a rule intended to emphasise their status as sorcerous machines.

* ArtifactOfDeath: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=208006 Jinxed Idol]] is a good example. There are others.

* AlphaStrike: The trope name is used as shorthand for attacking with every creature you have. This doubles as a DeathOrGloryAttack since you won't have any creatures left to defend yourself if your attack fails to take down your opponent.

* AnAxeToGrind: As seen [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=209033 here]]

* AdaptiveAbility: Creatures with the "evolve" keyword gain a +1/+1 counter whenever their controller plays a creature that has higher power and/or toughness. In other words, it grows bigger in response to a bigger creature arriving.
* AirborneMook: Small creatures with the Flying ability often provide difficulties for opponents who use mostly "ground" creatures. They cannot be blocked unless the blocker has Flying or Reach abilities, but most can still block the "ground" creatures from attacking their owner. Small fliers are usually depicted as birds or bats.