Face-Down

Stratus Dancer card art

I conclude self-proclaimed 'rules month' with a post on face-down cards. The forthcoming set, Murders at Karlov Manor, feature a keyword relevant to the topic.

Face-down cards were introduced with the 'morph' mechanic in Onslaught (2002). 'Megamorph' (Dragons of Tarkir, 2015) was similar, and now we have 'disguise' with Murders at Karlov Manor. We'll start with morph. Selections from the official rules, section 702.37:

“Morph [cost]” means “You may cast this card as a 2/2 face-down creature with no text, no name, no subtypes, and no mana cost by paying {3} rather than paying its mana cost.” 

You do *not* show the card to your opponent(s) when doing this; it is taken on trust (only cards with a morph ability can be cast face-down; rule 702.37d). So morph cards give you a choice: cast it face-up for its normal casting cost, or pay {3} and cast it face-down as a 2/2 generic creature. At a later time, whenever you have priority, you may pay the face-down card's morph cost (which is stated on the card) to turn it face-up (rule 702.37e). From the same rule:

Turning face-up "is a special action; it doesn’t use the stack." 

"Any abilities relating to the permanent entering the battlefield don’t trigger when it’s turned face up and don’t have any effect, because the permanent has already entered the battlefield." 

Megamorph is the same, but the creature gains a +1/+1 counter when it is turned face-up (see 702.37b). 

Disguise (the latest keyword) is the same, but the creature as 'ward 2' while face-down.

Four examples below on the varying costs and benefits of turning cards face-up. The general idea is that casting it face-down first will grant a later benefit.

Section 708 of the rules covers face-down spells and permanents. A lot of that section deals with the characteristics of face-down permanents (and its interactions with spells that may copy the card/etc.). Relevant portions:

708.2. Face-down spells and face-down permanents have no characteristics other than those listed by the ability or rules that allowed the spell or permanent to be face down. Any listed characteristics are the copiable values of that object’s characteristics. 

708.2a [shortened] If a face-up permanent is turned face down by a spell or ability that doesn’t list any characteristics for that object, it becomes a 2/2 face-down creature with no text, no name, no subtypes, and no mana cost.

708.3. Objects that are put onto the battlefield face down are turned face down before they enter the battlefield, so the permanent’s enters-the-battlefield abilities won’t trigger (if triggered) or have any effect (if static). 

708.4. Objects that are cast face down are turned face down before they are put onto the stack, so effects that care about the characteristics of a spell will see only the face-down spell’s characteristics. Any effects or prohibitions that would apply to casting an object with these characteristics (and not the face-up object’s characteristics) are applied to casting this object. The permanent the spell becomes will be a face-down permanent. 

708.6 [shortened]. If you control multiple face-down spells or face-down permanents, you must ensure at all times that your face-down spells and permanents can be easily differentiated from each other.  

708.11. If a face-down permanent would have an “As [this permanent] is turned face up . . .” ability after it’s turned face up, that ability is applied while that permanent is being turned face up, not afterward.

It is pretty straightforward, but warranted explanation, as it is one aspect of the game that can trip up the novice.

APNAP

Mystical Tutor card art

I mentioned Active Player, Non-Active Player (APNAP) in the last post. This post explains that concept, along with the associated concept of priority. The official rules are our starting point.

APNAP

Magic is an interactive game. It is not only about executing your strategy, but preventing your opponent(s) from doing the same. As such, there will be times when multiple players want to cast spells or activate abilities at the same time (or in response to someone else doing the same). And, there are times when triggered abilities all "go off" at the same time. APNAP is the way Magic determines the order. The basic rules here:

101.4. If multiple players would make choices and/or take actions at the same time, the active player (the player whose turn it is) makes any choices required, then the next player in turn order (usually the player seated to the active player’s left) makes any choices required, followed by the remaining nonactive players in turn order. Then the actions happen simultaneously. This rule is often referred to as the “Active Player, Nonactive Player (APNAP) order” rule.

101.4d If a choice made by a nonactive player causes the active player, or a different nonactive player earlier in the turn order, to have to make a choice, APNAP order is restarted for all outstanding choices.

Reading the other references to APNAP in the official rules, the basic point is any time things happen simultaneously, the APNAP rule decides in what order. Interestingly,

405.3. If an effect puts two or more objects on the stack at the same time, those controlled by the active player are put on lowest, followed by each other player’s objects in APNAP order (see rule 101.4). If a player controls more than one of these objects, that player chooses their relative order on the stack.

So APNAP may 'force' the active player to put their objects on the stack first [lowest], meaning they will get resolved last.

APNAP applies to all aspects of the game (there is a reason this concept is defined in the "Golden Rules" section of the document). This includes attacks:

802.4. If more than one player is being attacked, controls a planeswalker that’s being attacked, or protects a battle that’s being attacked, each defending player in APNAP order declares blockers as the declare blockers step begins. (See rule 101.4 and rule 509, “Declare Blockers Step.”) The first defending player declares all their blocks, then the second defending player, and so on.

Most of the time, order in such circumstances will not matter. But there will be occasions where it does, so understanding APNAP is important.

Priority

Related to APNAP is the concept of priority. Select rules:

117.1. Unless a spell or ability is instructing a player to take an action, which player can take actions at any given time is determined by a system of priority. The player with priority may cast spells, activate abilities, and take special actions.

117.3. Which player has priority is determined by the following rules: 

117.3a The active player receives priority at the beginning of most steps and phases, after any turnbased actions (such as drawing a card during the draw step; see rule 703) have been dealt with and abilities that trigger at the beginning of that phase or step have been put on the stack. No player receives priority during the untap step. Players usually don’t get priority during the cleanup step (see rule 514.3). 

117.3b The active player receives priority after a spell or ability (other than a mana ability) resolves. 

117.3d If a player has priority and chooses not to take any actions, that player passes. If any mana is in that player’s mana pool, they announce what mana is there. Then the next player in turn order receives priority. 

117.4. If all players pass in succession (that is, if all players pass without taking any actions in between passing), the spell or ability on top of the stack resolves or, if the stack is empty, the phase or step ends.

Summarizing, the Active Player (he/she whose turn it is) starts with priority and can take actions (cast spells, activate abilities, etc.). When they are done, they pass priority to the Non-Active Player on their left. When he/she takes actions and then passes, priority goes to the next Non-Active Player, and so on, and until everyone passes. Then the objects on the stack resolve. And, per 117.3b, as things resolve on the stack, the active player has a chance to 'react' at each point if they so choose. In thoses cases,

117.7. If a player with priority casts a spell or activates an activated ability while another spell or ability is already on the stack, the new spell or ability has been cast or activated “in response to” the earlier spell or ability. The new spell or ability will resolve first. See rule 608, “Resolving Spells and Abilities.”

Two-player Magic games rarely get into APNAP/priority weirdness, but for multiplayer games, it can get messy. Knowing these rules can help disentangle things.

The Stack

Fblthp, the Lost card art

I have mentioned the stack several times in this blog, but never explained it. I do so today.

Magic's official rules describe this concept in detail. The word is used 416 times in that document, showing its importance. Some basics, quoted or paraphrased from the rules:

The stack is a zone. A zone is a place where objects can be during a game. There are "seven zones in Magic: library, hand, battlefield, graveyard, stack, exile, and command. Each player has their own library, hand, and graveyard. The other zones are shared by all players." (Rule 400.1)

Section 405 focuses on the stack. Relevant portions from that section:

405.1. When a spell is cast, the physical card is put on the stack. When an ability is activated or triggers, it goes on top of the stack without any card associated with it. 

405.2. The stack keeps track of the order that spells and/or abilities were added to it. Each time an object is put on the stack, it’s put on top of all objects already there. 

405.3. If an effect puts two or more objects on the stack at the same time, those controlled by the active player are put on lowest, followed by each other player’s objects in APNAP order. If a player controls more than one of these objects, that player chooses their relative order on the stack. 

405.5. When all players pass in succession, the top (last-added) spell or ability on the stack resolves. If the stack is empty when all players pass, the current step or phase ends and the next begins.

Note: "APNAP order" above means "Active Player, Non-Active Player." The active player is whose turn it is; the non-active players go in turn order [clockwise] from that player. I'll cover that another time.

Spells and activated/triggered abilities remain on the stack until they are resolved, countered, or otherwise leave the stack (see rules 112 and 113). 

Summarizing, the stack is a "first in, last out" concept where players stack spells and abilities until everyone has passed. Then the topmost spell/ability is resolved, then the next, and so on until the stack is empty. The stack exists in all steps/phases of the game. In a given phase, the active player has priority to put something on the stack first; if they pass, then the non-active players can choose to do the same. If they pass, then the game proceeds to the next phase.

Two things to note:

1) Most counterspells in the game counter spells. Note that "Activated and triggered abilities on the stack aren’t spells, and therefore can’t be countered by anything that counters only spells. Activated and triggered abilities on the stack can be countered by effects that specifically counter abilities. Static abilities don’t use the stack and thus can’t be countered at all." (Rule 113.9)

2) Some things that happen during the game don’t use the stack (405.6). Summarizing this section, these are:

- effects (the result of spells and abilities resolving)

- mana abilities (I cover this in a different post)

- special actions (rule 116)

- turn-based and state-based actions (see rule 703 and 704)

- a player conceding the game [this one is hilarious. Imagine if "I concede" would go on the stack, and someone else could counter it. "No you don't. Sit down."]

Example 1:

The simplest (and most common) example are two spells. I cast Hurloon Minotaur; that goes on the stack. My opponent casts Cancel; that goes on top of the stack. 

I have a chance to respond but pass; my opponent passes, too. Then the spells on the stack are resolved top to bottom: Cancel resolves, targeting Hurloon Minotaur. My minotaur spell is canceled and goes to my graveyard [sob].

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Example 2:

Order matters greatly. Here, I have a Grizzly Bears on the battlefield and declare it as an attacker, tapping it to do so. I pass priority and my opponent casts Cut Down targeting it. I have priority again. In response, I cast Giant Growth. To the stack is (top to bottom) Giant Growth, Cut Down.

Everyone passes. Giant Growth resolves, making the Grizzly Bears 5/5 until end of turn. Cut Down then resolves, but has no target, because Grizzly Bears now have a total power and toughness greater than 5. The spell 'fizzles' and nothing happens (it goes to the graveyard). Grizzly Bears attacks as a 5/5.

Now let's reverse the order. I attack with my Grizzly Bears, and (having priority) choose to cast Giant Growth right away. My opponent, in response, casts Cut Down. Now the stack is (top to bottom) Cut Down, Giant Growth. Everyone passes. Cut Down resolves, and the Grizzly Bears is destroyed (and put in the graveyard). Giant Growth then resolves, but has no target, because Grizzly Bears is no longer there. The spell 'fizzles' and nothing happens (it goes to the graveyard). There is no attack.

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In these simple examples, the stack is straightforward. But things can get complicated quickly, especially when you throw abilities and multiple players into the mix. 

Seasoned Magic players don't say "I put [x] on the stack." They'll say, instead, something like "I play Hurloon Minotaur" and expect that anyone who wants to respond will speak up ("in response, I ___") and do so at that time. If nobody does, it resolves and enters the battlefield.

The stack is important to understand, even if it goes unmentioned in most Magic games. It is a key part of the game's strategy, enabling the interactions that make the game so exciting, challenging, and fun.

Social Contracts and Power Levels

Incite Insight card art

In 2023, I mentioned social contracts and power levels in a post. This post looks at these intertwined concepts.

Magic has rules for its formats. Generally, formats involve number of cards in a deck, permitted copies of each card in that deck, eligible sets to choose from, and whether or not you construct you deck in advance or build it via limited means (sealed, drafting, jumpstart, etc.—see here for more formats). But there are some rules that go unwritten; social contracts are one such rule. 

screenshot from the formats link above

Magic is competitive, but it is also about gathering to enjoy the amusing permutations and creativity that the game enables. That can be fun in any environment, but in most, the players involved want some degree of a 'level playing field.' To this end, a social contract in Magic is the (spoken or unspoken) assumptions or agreements players have when fielding their decks at (say) a local game store or other common get-together. Many players end up in playgroups, and that group will probably have such a device.

Social contracts revolve around the power level of a deck. The power level is how powerful/effective the deck is: how quickly it can win, how 'flexible' it is to succeed against multiple deck types, etc. Generally, the power level is 1–10, with 10 being the best possible. 

Power level is, of course, a judgment call. There are calculators (like this one) that try to quantify it, and you can use other measures (like card cost on the secondary market, rarity, etc.), but decks need synergy to be effective, and calculators cannot measure that; you can have tons of powerful or expensive cards in your deck but still be ineffective (I am very good at building decks like this).

Why would any playgroup want to enforce power level restrictions or other things in a social contract? There are many good reasons:

- to give new (or budget) players a chance

- to explore untested decks (which might need a longer game)

- to fool around with cards that would never see play in a more competitive environment

- to encourage trying new things

Only constructed events have social contracts/power levels . . . limited (sealed/draft) environments inherently have a level playing field. I have heard of social contracts most often in Commander, as that casual format has the least 'formal' restrictions (it has the largest pool of cards), and the greatest chance for imbalance. But every playgroup is different, and I'm sure some have very unique or unexpected social contracts.

If you are getting into the game and want to participate in a playgroup, asking about the social contract (power level) is a good thing to do up-front. It is one factor that can help you identify if the group aligns with your interests. It can also help avoid disappointment; I have heard of players who 'scoop' (quit the game by scooping up their cards before they are reduced to 0 life) if a player in the group fields a deck with power level greatly exceeding that of the others. 

As you gain experience in this game, you will pick up on some power levels inherently. For the rest, if you don't know, be honest about it to the group you're in. "This could be a 6, but I'm not sure." It will help them (and you) have the best possible time.

Looking Ahead

Arcane Teachings card art

Happy New Year! What will 2024 bring in Magic, both corporately and personally?

Corporately, Wizards intends to continue its blistering release pace. 

image from here

Per this site, we have:

- Ravnica Remastered (compilation set)

- Murders at Karlov Manor (standard set)

- Universes Beyond: Fallout (Commander decks + collector boosters)

- Outlaws of Thunder Junction (standard set)

- Modern Horizons 3 (compilation set)

- Universes Beyond: Assassin's Creed (small release)

- Bloomburrow (standard set)

- Duskmourn: House of Horror (standard set)

The compilation and Universes Beyond sets don't grab me. I am curious about Outlaws of Thunder Junction (a wild west theme) and Bloomburrow (described as a 'cute' set in the vein of the Redwall book series). Duskmourn has a '70s horror theme' that is also intriguing. 

Personally, I want to do a few things:

- Buy only singles and precons of interest. I largely did this last year and it is a better (cheaper) way to collect for those who don't draft.

- Minimize my collection more. Last year, I sold 10k cards. This year, I hope to get rid of 5-6k more. 

- Build and play some cubes. This was a goal last year that I never got to.

- Figure out where I want this blog to go

For that last one, my overall goal remains "to explain, explore, and enjoy" this game. But as the years go on, I'm thinking of fewer things to explain. There is still plenty to explore and enjoy, but I want this to be a 'unique' experience for people, and not just rehashing what many other content creators do. To that end, I will do some of these two categories as I feel inspired:

- rules, formats, jargon

- news, reflections

But will focus on these categories:

- artists, history

- statistics/analysis

- collecting, storage

- cards, sets, cubes, decks

To 2024!