"In your misguided attempt to subvert the law, you have eloquently explained why the law must exist."

Absorb

A spell that can't be countered is a legal target for Absorb. The spell won't be countered when Absorb resolves, but you'll still gain 3 life.

Seen through Rakdos eyes, a cruel betrayal is a hilarious stunt.

Act of Treason

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

Act of Treason can target any creature, even one that's untapped or one you already control.

Gaining control of a creature doesn't cause you to gain control of any Auras or Equipment attached to it.

Gain control of target creature until end of turn. Untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn. (It can attack and {T} this turn.)

"The absence of binocular vision imposes certain challenges for a flying creature, which are overcome via echolocation."
—Simic research notes

Aeromunculus

Flying
{2}{G}{U}: Adapt 1. (If this creature has no +1/+1 counters on it, put a +1/+1 counter on it.)

If a creature somehow loses all of its +1/+1 counters, it can adapt again and get more +1/+1 counters.

You can always activate an ability that will cause a creature to adapt. As that ability resolves, if the creature has a +1/+1 counter on it for any reason, you simply won’t put any +1/+1 counters on it.

Amplifire

Amplifire will be a 1/1 creature from the time your untap step begins until the time its triggered ability resolves during your upkeep.

Any effects that modify Amplifire’s power and/or toughness without setting them to a specific number or value will apply after its base power and toughness are set, regardless of the order in which those effects were created. The same is true of counters that modify its power and toughness.

If you reveal your entire library and don’t reveal a creature card, Amplifire becomes a 0/0 creature and you put your library back in a random order.

At the beginning of your upkeep, reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a creature card. Until your next turn, Amplifire's base power becomes twice that card's power and its base toughness becomes twice that card's toughness. Put the revealed cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.

Angel of Grace

Flash
Flying
When Angel of Grace enters the battlefield, until end of turn, damage that would reduce your life total to less than 1 reduces it to 1 instead.
{4}{W}{W}, Exile Angel of Grace from your graveyard: Your life total becomes 10.

Angel of Grace’s triggered ability doesn’t prevent damage. It only changes the result of damage dealt to you. For example, a creature with lifelink that deals damage to you will still cause its controller to gain life, even if that damage would reduce your life total to less than 1.

Angel of Grace’s triggered ability doesn’t stop loss of life from effects that say that you lose life.

For a player’s life total to become 10, that player gains or loses the appropriate amount of life. For example, if your life total is 2, Angel of Grace’s last ability will cause you to gain 8 life; alternatively, if your life total is 20, it will cause you to lose 10 life. Other cards that interact with life gain or life loss will interact with this effect accordingly.

If you have less than 1 life and somehow haven’t lost the game, damage dealt to you reduces your life total further below 0 (as normal).

In a Commander game, combat damage you’re dealt by a commander is still tracked, even if it doesn’t change your life total.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, after resolving Angel of Grace’s triggered ability, damage dealt to you and/or your teammate that would reduce your team’s life total to less than 1 reduces it to 1 instead.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, the activated ability of Angel of Grace causes you to gain or lose life so that your team’s life total becomes 10.

Flash
Flying
When Angel of Grace enters, until end of turn, damage that would reduce your life total to less than 1 reduces it to 1 instead.
{4}{W}{W}, Exile Angel of Grace from your graveyard: Your life total becomes 10.

"If we cannot have peace, we will have justice."
—Aurelia

Angelic Exaltation

Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, it gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the number of creatures you control.

A creature attacks alone if it’s the only creature declared as an attacker during the declare attackers step (including creatures controlled by your teammates, if applicable). For example, Angelic Exaltation’s ability won’t trigger if you attack with multiple creatures and all but one of them are removed from combat.

The value of X is determined only as Angelic Exaltation’s ability begins to resolve. It won’t change later in the turn if the number of creatures you control changes.

Applied Biomancy

Choose one or both —
• Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
• Return target creature to its owner's hand.

A ray of hope breaks through the shroud of rain.

Archway Angel

Flying
When Archway Angel enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life for each Gate you control.

Flying
When Archway Angel enters, you gain 2 life for each Gate you control.

Arrester's Admonition

Return target creature to its owner's hand.
Addendum — If you cast this spell during your main phase, draw a card.

If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Arrester's Admonition tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. You don't draw a card if you cast it during your main phase.

Addendum abilities of instant spells apply while the spell is resolving, not immediately after casting it. If the spell is countered, you don't get the addendum bonus.

If an effect copies a spell with an addendum ability while it's on the stack, the copy wasn't cast at all, so you won't get the addendum bonus.

Arrester's Zeal

Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
Addendum — If you cast this spell during your main phase, that creature gains flying until end of turn.

In preparation for the conflict all foresaw, the Golgari called upon an army that had slept for millennia beneath the city.

Awaken the Erstwhile

The number of Zombie tokens each player creates is equal to the number of cards that player discarded, not the total number of cards discarded.

Each player discards all the cards in their hand, then creates that many 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens.

"Imagine a gigantic pine cone that's extremely territorial and always in a foul mood."
—Zhosmir, urban huntmaster

Axebane Beast

"If the populace fears our authority, then I'd say we have an appropriately sensible populace."
—Dovin Baan

Azorius Guildgate

Azorius Guildgate enters the battlefield tapped.
{T}: Add {W} or {U}.

The subtype Gate has no special rules significance, but other spells and abilities may refer to it.

Azorius Guildgate enters tapped.
{T}: Add {W} or {U}.

"If you want to know what's really going on in any building, you don't walk in the front door. You stake out the back."
—Lavinia

Thanks to the magic in his Writ of Passage, alms beasts lumbered aside, anarchs bowed their heads, and even Rakdos acrobats rolled their spikewheels out of his way.

Azorius Knight-Arbiter

Vigilance
Azorius Knight-Arbiter can't be blocked.

"Mandatory lockets enable the tracking of all Senate personnel for improved security and efficiency."
—Dovin Baan

Azorius Locket

{T}: Add {W} or {U}.
{WU}{WU}{WU}{WU}, {T}, Sacrifice Azorius Locket: Draw two cards.

{T}: Add {W} or {U}.
{W/U}{W/U}{W/U}{W/U}, {T}, Sacrifice Azorius Locket: Draw two cards.

"These new thopters are all well and good, but four eyes are better than none."

Azorius Skyguard

Flying, first strike
Creatures your opponents control get -1/-0.

"Your spirits can rest in peace, for your debts are paid."

Bankrupt in Blood

As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice two creatures.
Draw three cards.

Players can respond only after Bankrupt in Blood has been cast and all its costs have been paid. No one can try to destroy the creatures you sacrificed to prevent you from casting this spell.

You must sacrifice exactly two creatures to cast Bankrupt in Blood; you can’t cast it without sacrificing two creatures, and you can’t sacrifice additional creatures.

You can hear their tolling only when your debt is due.

Basilica Bell-Haunt

When Basilica Bell-Haunt enters the battlefield, each opponent discards a card and you gain 3 life.

You gain 3 life even if some or all of your opponents can’t discard a card.

When Basilica Bell-Haunt enters, each opponent discards a card and you gain 3 life.

Bedeck // Bedazzle

You can’t cast Bedazzle without a target nonbasic land and a target opponent or planeswalker. If one of the targets is illegal when Bedazzle tries to resolve, the other is still affected as appropriate.

Destroy target nonbasic land. Bedazzle deals 2 damage to target opponent or planeswalker.

Target creature gets +3/-3 until end of turn.

"It's easy to get taken in by the spectacle, to enjoy a bit of naughty amusement. But make no mistake: the Cult of Rakdos is a danger."
—Tajic

Bedevil

Destroy target artifact, creature, or planeswalker.

Benthic Biomancer

An ability that triggers when counters are put on a permanent will trigger if that permanent somehow enters the battlefield with those counters.

You can always activate an ability that will cause a creature to adapt. As that ability resolves, if the creature has a +1/+1 counter on it for any reason, you simply won't put any +1/+1 counters on it.

You draw a card and discard a card all while Benthic Biomancer's triggered ability is resolving. Nothing can happen between the two, and no player may choose to take actions.

{1}{U}: Adapt 1. (If this creature has no +1/+1 counters on it, put a +1/+1 counter on it.)
Whenever one or more +1/+1 counters are put on Benthic Biomancer, draw a card, then discard a card.

Biogenic Ooze

When Biogenic Ooze enters, create a 2/2 green Ooze creature token.
At the beginning of your end step, put a +1/+1 counter on each Ooze you control.
{1}{G}{G}{G}: Create a 2/2 green Ooze creature token.

When Biogenic Ooze enters the battlefield, create a 2/2 green Ooze creature token.
At the beginning of your end step, put a +1/+1 counter on each Ooze you control.
{1}{G}{G}{G}: Create a 2/2 green Ooze creature token.

"To survive exceptional times we must adapt by exceptional means."
—Vannifar

Biogenic Upgrade

Distribute three +1/+1 counters among one, two, or three target creatures, then double the number of +1/+1 counters on each of those creatures.

If some of the creatures are illegal targets as Biogenic Upgrade tries to resolve, the original distribution of counters still applies and the counters that would have been put on the illegal targets are lost. They won't be put instead on a legal target.

To double the number of +1/+1 counters on a permanent, put a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to the number it already has. Other cards that interact with putting counters on it will interact with this effect accordingly.

You choose how many targets Biogenic Upgrade has and how the counters are distributed as you cast it. Each target must receive at least one counter. This means, for example, that you can't target three creatures, assign them two, one, and zero counters.

Biomancer's Familiar

Activated abilities contain a colon. They’re generally written “[Cost]: [Effect].” Some keyword abilities are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder text. Triggered abilities (starting with “when,” “whenever,” or “at”) are unaffected by the cost reduction ability of Biomancer’s Familiar.

An ability that has only one generic mana and some amount of other mana symbols in its activation cost will have its cost reduced by {1}.

Biomancer’s Familiar affects only abilities of creatures you control on the battlefield. The costs of activated abilities of creature cards that work in other zones (such as cycling) won’t be reduced.

The last ability of Biomancer’s Familiar doesn’t add or remove any counters. It just lets the creature adapt despite already having +1/+1 counters on it.

Activated abilities of creatures you control cost {2} less to activate. This effect can't reduce the mana in that cost to less than one mana.
{T}: The next time target creature adapts this turn, it adapts as though it had no +1/+1 counters on it.

Activated abilities of creatures you control cost {2} less to activate. This effect can't reduce the amount of mana an ability costs to activate to less than one mana.
{T}: The next time target creature adapts this turn, it adapts as though it had no +1/+1 counters on it.

Blade Juggler

Spectacle {2}{B} (You may cast this spell for its spectacle cost rather than its mana cost if an opponent lost life this turn.)
When Blade Juggler enters the battlefield, it deals 1 damage to you and you draw a card.

A card's spectacle cost is the same no matter how much life your opponents lost or how many opponents lost life.

Damage dealt to a player causes that player to lose that much life.

In a multiplayer game, if an opponent loses life and later that turn leaves the game, you can cast a spell for its spectacle cost. (If a player leaves the game during their turn, that turn continues without an active player.)

Spectacle cares only that an opponent lost life during the turn, not that the opponent's life total is currently lower than it was. For example, if an opponent loses 1 life and then gains 2 life in the same turn, you can cast a spell for its spectacle cost that turn.

Spectacle doesn't change when you can cast the spell. For example, you can't cast a sorcery with spectacle during an opponent's turn unless another effect allows you to do so, even if that player has lost life this turn.

To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you're paying (such as a spectacle cost), add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was.

Spectacle {2}{B} (You may cast this spell for its spectacle cost rather than its mana cost if an opponent lost life this turn.)
When Blade Juggler enters, it deals 1 damage to you and you draw a card.

"The pain of searing iron and razor edges pales beside the pleasure of performance."
—Judith

Bladebrand

Target creature gains deathtouch until end of turn.
Draw a card.

If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Bladebrand tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. You don't draw a card.

Life is a show, and death its final performance.

Blood Crypt

If an effect puts this land onto the battlefield tapped, you may pay 2 life, but it still enters tapped.

Unlike most dual lands, this land has two basic land types. It's not basic, so cards such as District Guide can't find it, but it does have the appropriate land types for effects such as that of Drowned Catacomb (from the Ixalan set).

({T}: Add {B} or {R}.)
As Blood Crypt enters, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters tapped.

({T}: Add {B} or {R}.)
As Blood Crypt enters the battlefield, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters the battlefield tapped.

Blood seeks blood, and nothing shall hold back its hunger.

Bloodmist Infiltrator

Whenever Bloodmist Infiltrator attacks, you may sacrifice another creature. If you do, Bloodmist Infiltrator can't be blocked this turn.

Jaharg discovered that the shapes and symmetries so pleasing to the sculptor's eye also yielded a well-balanced bludgeon.

Bolrac-Clan Crusher

{T}, Remove a +1/+1 counter from a creature you control: Bolrac-Clan Crusher deals 2 damage to any target.

You must remove exactly one +1/+1 counter from a creature you control to activate Bolrac-Clan Crusher’s ability; you can’t activate it without removing a +1/+1 counter, and you can’t remove additional counters.

Breeding Pool

({T}: Add {G} or {U}.)
As Breeding Pool enters, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters tapped.

({T}: Add {G} or {U}.)
As Breeding Pool enters the battlefield, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters the battlefield tapped.

Bring to Trial

Exile target creature with power 4 or greater.

"From a great bonfire at the dawn of time, the first Gruul kindled their rage. The same flame burns in you."
—Kroshkar, Gruul shaman

Burn Bright

Creatures you control get +2/+0 until end of turn.

The ostentatious splendor of the Orzhov church was just asking to be smashed.

Burning-Tree Vandal

Riot (This creature enters the battlefield with your choice of a +1/+1 counter or haste.)
Whenever Burning-Tree Vandal attacks, you may discard a card. If you do, draw a card.

If a creature entering the battlefield has riot but can’t have a +1/+1 counter put onto it, it gains haste.

If you choose for the creature to gain haste, it gains haste indefinitely. It won’t lose it as the turn ends or as another player gains control of it.

Riot is a replacement effect. Players can’t respond to your choice of +1/+1 counter or haste, and they can’t take actions while the creature is on the battlefield without one or the other.

Riot (This creature enters with your choice of a +1/+1 counter or haste.)
Whenever Burning-Tree Vandal attacks, you may discard a card. If you do, draw a card.

Captive Audience

Captive Audience enters the battlefield under the control of an opponent of your choice.
At the beginning of your upkeep, choose one that hasn't been chosen —
• Your life total becomes 4.
• Discard your hand.
• Each opponent creates five 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens.

For a player’s life total to become 4, that player gains or loses the appropriate amount of life. For example, if a player’s life total is 20, Captive Audience will cause that player to lose 16 life; alternatively, if their life total is 1, it will cause them to gain 3 life. Other cards that interact with life gain or life loss will interact with this effect accordingly.

If all three modes have been chosen, Captive Audience’s triggered ability is removed from the stack with no effect, but Captive Audience remains on the battlefield.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, Captive Audience’s first mode causes its controller to gain or lose life so that their team’s life total becomes 4.

In a multiplayer game, if Captive Audience’s owner leaves the game, Captive Audience leaves the game with them. If Captive Audience’s controller leaves the game, Captive Audience is exiled (assuming that player wasn’t also Captive Audience’s owner).

Once Captive Audience is controlled by your opponent, its ability triggers during that player’s upkeep and that player makes all choices for it. That player is affected by its first two modes, and that player’s opponents create the tokens for its last mode.

You may choose Captive Audience’s first mode even if your life total is already 4. Similarly, you may choose its second mode even if you have no cards in hand.

Captive Audience enters under the control of an opponent of your choice.
At the beginning of your upkeep, choose one that hasn't been chosen —
• Your life total becomes 4.
• Discard your hand.
• Each opponent creates five 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens.

Carnival // Carnage

Carnage deals 3 damage to target opponent. That player discards two cards.

If the target permanent is an illegal target by the time Carnival tries to resolve, the spell doesn’t resolve. No player is dealt damage.

If the target player is an illegal target by the time Carnage tries to resolve, the spell doesn’t resolve. No player discards.

Carnival deals 1 damage to target creature or planeswalker and 1 damage to that permanent's controller.

No scrap of nutrition goes to waste in the undercity.

Carrion Imp

Flying
When Carrion Imp enters the battlefield, you may exile target creature card from a graveyard. If you do, you gain 2 life.

Flying
When Carrion Imp enters, you may exile target creature card from a graveyard. If you do, you gain 2 life.

"I am sewer-king!" said Rat. "I am quick and cunning and I know every tunnel."
"No, I am king!" said Zombie. "I am cold and deadly and no rot can harm me."
Then Croc came and ate them both.

Catacomb Crocodile

Let the Dimir worry about witnesses. For the Rakdos, screams count as applause.

Cavalcade of Calamity

Whenever a creature you control with power 1 or less attacks, Cavalcade of Calamity deals 1 damage to the player or planeswalker that creature is attacking.

A creature with power 0 or less can attack, as long as no rule or effect prohibits it from doing so. Many creatures with 0 power have defender, but not all do.

If multiple creatures you control with power 1 or less attack, Cavalcade of Calamity’s ability will trigger for each of those creatures. Each ability will cause Cavalcade of Calamity to deal 1 damage to the appropriate player or planeswalker.

The power of the attacking creature is checked only when the ability triggers. Once it triggers, Cavalcade of Calamity will deal 1 damage to the appropriate player or planeswalker even if the creature’s power changes or the creature leaves the battlefield before the ability resolves.

Charging War Boar

Haste (This creature can attack and {T} as soon as it comes under your control.)
As long as you control a Domri planeswalker, Charging War Boar gets +1/+1 and has trample. (It can deal excess damage to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.)

Because damage remains marked on a creature until it’s removed as the turn ends, nonlethal damage dealt to Charging War Boar may become lethal if Domri leaves the battlefield during that turn.

If you can see your breath, it's too late to run.

Chillbringer

Flying
When Chillbringer enters the battlefield, tap target creature an opponent controls. It doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.

Chillbringer’s ability can target a creature that’s already tapped. That creature won’t untap during its controller’s next untap step.

Flying
When Chillbringer enters, tap target creature an opponent controls. It doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.

Cindervines

Cindervines can be the target of its own activated ability. The ability won't resolve since it won't have a legal target, and no player will be dealt damage, but this does allow you to sacrifice Cindervines without anything else to target if you want to.

Cindervines's triggered ability resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered.

If the target permanent is an illegal target by the time Cindervines's activated ability tries to resolve, the ability doesn't resolve. No player is dealt damage. If the target is legal but not destroyed (most likely because it has indestructible), its controller is dealt damage.

Whenever an opponent casts a noncreature spell, Cindervines deals 1 damage to that player.
{1}, Sacrifice Cindervines: Destroy target artifact or enchantment. Cindervines deals 2 damage to that permanent's controller.

"These are your streets. Defend them! This is your neighborhood. Honor it! This is your city. Save it!"

Civic Stalwart

When Civic Stalwart enters the battlefield, creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.

Civic Stalwart’s triggered ability affects only creatures you control at the time it resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won’t get +1/+1.

When Civic Stalwart enters, creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.

"Little goblin. Big noise."
—Ruric Thar

Clamor Shaman

Riot (This creature enters the battlefield with your choice of a +1/+1 counter or haste.)
Whenever Clamor Shaman attacks, target creature an opponent controls can't block this turn.

Riot (This creature enters with your choice of a +1/+1 counter or haste.)
Whenever Clamor Shaman attacks, target creature an opponent controls can't block this turn.

Clan Guildmage

{1}{R}, {T}: Target creature can't block this turn.
{2}{G}, {T}: Target land you control becomes a 4/4 Elemental creature with haste until end of turn. It's still a land.

Activating Clan Guildmage’s first ability after a creature has blocked won’t remove the blocking creature from combat or cause the creature it blocked to become unblocked.

Clan Guildmage’s second ability doesn’t untap the land that becomes a creature.

"The best way to keep a secret is to forget it."
—Lazav

Clear the Mind

Target player shuffles their graveyard into their library.
Draw a card.

Card (283)	Type	^{$99.71 (627.13)} Price
Absorb	Instant	$0.08 ^(0.45)
Act of Treason	Sorcery	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Aeromunculus	Creature	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Amplifire	Creature	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Angel of Grace	Creature	$0.15 ^(0.15)
Angelic Exaltation	Enchantment	$0.02 ^(0.00)
Applied Biomancy	Instant	$0.00 ^(0.02)
Archway Angel	Creature	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Arrester's Admonition	Instant	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Arrester's Zeal	Instant	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Awaken the Erstwhile	Sorcery	$0.08 ^(0.58)
Axebane Beast	Creature	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Azorius Guildgate	Land	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Azorius Guildgate	Land	$0.00 ^(0.02)
Azorius Knight-Arbiter	Creature	$0.00 ^(0.02)
Azorius Locket	Artifact	$0.00 ^(0.05)
Azorius Skyguard	Creature	$0.00 ^(0.05)
Bankrupt in Blood	Sorcery	$0.02 ^(0.00)
Basilica Bell-Haunt	Creature	$0.02 ^(0.07)
Bedeck // Bedazzle	Instant	$0.08 ^(0.00)
Bedeck // Bedazzle	Instant	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Bedevil	Instant	$0.15 ^(12.30)
Benthic Biomancer	Creature	$0.08 ^(0.50)
Biogenic Ooze	Creature	$0.50 ^(11.00)
Biogenic Upgrade	Sorcery	$0.02 ^(0.05)
Biomancer's Familiar	Creature	$0.15 ^(8.15)
Blade Juggler	Creature	$0.02 ^(0.00)
Bladebrand	Instant	$0.02 ^(0.02)
Blood Crypt	Land	$12.00 ^(52.00)
Bloodmist Infiltrator	Creature	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Bolrac-Clan Crusher	Creature	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Breeding Pool	Land	$12.00 ^(54.00)
Bring to Trial	Sorcery	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Burn Bright	Instant	$0.02 ^(0.04)
Burning-Tree Vandal	Creature	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Captive Audience	Enchantment	$4.00 ^(9.00)
Carnival // Carnage	Sorcery	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Carnival // Carnage	Instant	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Carrion Imp	Creature	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Catacomb Crocodile	Creature	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Cavalcade of Calamity	Enchantment	$0.05 ^(2.00)
Charging War Boar	Creature	$0.05 ^(0.00)
Chillbringer	Creature	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Cindervines	Enchantment	$0.08 ^(0.45)
Civic Stalwart	Creature	$0.00 ^(0.02)
Clamor Shaman	Creature	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Clan Guildmage	Creature	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Clear the Mind	Sorcery	$0.02 ^(2.00)
Clear the Stage	Instant	$0.00 ^(0.00)
Code of Constraint	Instant	$0.00 ^(0.05)

Ravnica Allegiance