Changes: Ability word

Revision as of 16:29, 5 June 2020

An ability word is a word that thematically groups cards with a common functionality, but has no special meaning in the Comprehensive Rules.

Description

Because they indicate flavor rather than rules text, ability words are printed in italics and are separated from their corresponding rules text by an em-dash. Ability words are used to label mechanics that cannot be keyworded.^[1]

Ability words were introduced with Unhinged's gotcha, and were first printed on tournament-legal cards in Saviors of Kamigawa with channel and sweep. Some earlier unnamed mechanics, such as Invasion block's domain, have retroactively received ability words. Odyssey block's threshold was errataed during rules changes in Time Spiral block to be an ability word, rather than a keyword, as was Mirrodin block's imprint with the release of Scars of Mirrodin.

Ability words are distinct from keyword actions and keyword abilities. Collectively, they are described as mechanics.

Rules

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (April 12, 2024—Outlaws of Thunder Junction)

Ability Word: An italicized word with no rules meaning that ties together abilities on different cards that have similar functionality. See rule 207.2c.

From the Comprehensive Rules (April 12, 2024—Outlaws of Thunder Junction)

207.2c An ability word appears in italics at the beginning of some abilities. Ability words are similar to keywords in that they tie together cards that have similar functionality, but they have no special rules meaning and no individual entries in the Comprehensive Rules. The ability words are adamant, addendum, alliance, battalion, bloodrush, celebration, channel, chroma, cohort, constellation, converge, council’s dilemma, coven, delirium, descend 4, descend 8, domain, eminence, enrage, fateful hour, fathomless descent, ferocious, formidable, grandeur, hellbent, heroic, imprint, inspired, join forces, kinship, landfall, lieutenant, magecraft, metalcraft, morbid, pack tactics, paradox, parley, radiance, raid, rally, revolt, secret council, spell mastery, strive, sweep, tempting offer, threshold, undergrowth, and will of the council.

Examples

Examples of ability words are:

Metalcraft — {Additional or alternate effect} if you control three or more artifacts.
Sweep — Return any number of {basic land types} you control to their owner's hand. {An effect based on the number of lands returned.}

List of ability words

References

↑ Mark Rosewater (July 28, 2008). "Ability Word to Your Mother". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.

[1] Mark Rosewater (July 28, 2008). "Ability Word to Your Mother". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-An '''ability word''' is a word that, in essence, groups, and reminds players of, cards that have a common functionality and does not imply any particular rules.  In other words, it is a naming convention to group like things together that cannot be [[keyword]]ed. As a consequence of having no significant rules, ability words do not have separate entries in the [[Comprehensive Rules]].<ref>{{DailyRef|mtgcom/daily/mr342|Ability Word to Your Mother|[[Mark Rosewater]]|July 28, 2008}}</ref>
+An '''ability word''' is a word that thematically groups cards with a common functionality, but has no special meaning in the [[Comprehensive Rules]].
+{{TOCright}}
 ==Description==
+Because they indicate flavor rather than rules text, ability words are printed in italics and are separated from their corresponding rules text by an em-dash. Ability words are used to label mechanics that cannot be keyworded.<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/ability-word-your-mother-2008-07-28|Ability Word to Your Mother|[[Mark Rosewater]]|July 28, 2008}}</ref>
-Debuting in ''[[Unhinged]]'', with [[Gotcha]], ability words were introduced among tournament-legal cards in ''[[Saviors of Kamigawa]]'' with [[Channel]] and [[Sweep]]. Some cards, such as the [[Domain]] cards of [[Invasion block]], and keyword abilities, such as [[Odyssey block]]'s [[Threshold]] during [[Time Spiral block]], have been retroactively [[Oracle|erataed]] to, respectively, feature ability words or become ability words.
+Ability words were introduced with ''[[Unhinged]]''<nowiki/>'s [[gotcha]], and were first printed on tournament-legal cards in ''[[Saviors of Kamigawa]]'' with [[channel]] and [[sweep]]. Some earlier unnamed mechanics, such as [[Invasion block]]'s [[domain]], have retroactively received ability words. [[Odyssey block]]'s [[threshold]] was [[Oracle|errataed]] during rules changes in [[Time Spiral block]] to be an ability word, rather than a keyword, as was [[Mirrodin block]]'s [[imprint]] with the release of [[Scars of Mirrodin]].
-The way you can tell something is an ability word is twofold. First, it is always in italics, with a dash at the beginning of the rules text. Second, if removed from the card, the rules text would still read perfectly fine. Keywords, in contrast, are within the rules text and would make the text incomplete if removed.
+Ability words are distinct from [[keyword action]]s and [[keyword ability|keyword abilities]]. Collectively, they are described as [[mechanic]]s.
-==Comprehensive Rules==
-{{CR|Khans of Tarkir|*'''207.2c''' An ''ability word'' appears in italics at the beginning of some abilities on cards. Ability words are similar to keywords in that they tie together cards that have similar functionality, but they have no special rules meaning and no individual entries in the Comprehensive Rules. The ability words are [[battalion]], [[bloodrush]], [[channel]], [[chroma]], [[constellation]], [[domain]], [[fateful hour]], [[ferocious]], [[grandeur]], [[hellbent]], [[heroic]], [[imprint]], [[inspired]], [[join forces]], [[kinship]], [[landfall]], [[metalcraft]], [[morbid]], [[parley]], [[radiance]], [[raid]], [[strive]], [[sweep]], [[tempting offer]], [[threshold]], and [[will of the council]].}}
+==Rules==
+{{CR|glossary|Ability Word}}
+{{CR|207.2c}}
 ==Examples==
 Examples of ability words are:
 *''Metalcraft'' — {Additional or alternate effect} if you control three or more artifacts.
-*''Sweep'' — Return any number of {[[Basic lands|basic land type]]s} you control to their owner's hand. {An effect based on the number of lands returned.}
+*''Sweep'' — Return any number of {[[basic land type]]s} you control to their owner's hand. {An effect based on the number of lands returned.}
 ==List of ability words==
-{{col-begin}}
+{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
-{{col-break}}
-*[[Battalion]]
+*''[[Adamant]]''
-*[[Bloodrush]]
+*''[[Addendum]]''
-*[[Channel]]
+*''[[Battalion]]''
-*[[Chroma]]
+*''[[Bloodrush]]''
-*[[Constellation]]
+*''[[Channel]]''
-*[[Domain]]
+*''[[Chroma]]''
-*[[Fateful hour]]
+*''[[Cohort]]''
-*[[Ferocious]]
+*''[[Constellation]]''
-*[[Formidable]]
+*''[[Converge]]''
+*''[[Council's dilemma]]''
-*[[Grandeur]]
-*[[Hellbent]]
+*''[[Delirium]]''
-*[[Heroic]]
+*''[[Domain]]''
-*[[Imprint]]
+*''[[Eminence]]''
-*[[Inspired]]
+*''[[Enrage]]''
+*''[[Fateful hour]]''
-{{col-break}}
-*[[Join forces]]
+*''[[Ferocious]]''
-*[[Kinship]]
+*''[[Formidable]]''
-*[[Landfall]]
+*''[[Grandeur]]''
-*[[Lieutenant]]
+*''[[Hellbent]]''
-*[[Metalcraft]]
+*''[[Heroic]]''
-*[[Morbid]]
+*''[[Imprint]]''
-*[[Parley]]
+*''[[Inspired]]''
-*[[Radiance]]
+*''[[Join forces]]''
-*[[Raid]]
+*''[[Kinship]]''
-*[[Strive]]
+*''[[Landfall]]''
-*[[Sweep]]
+*''[[Lieutenant]]''
-*[[Tempting offer]]
+*''[[Metalcraft]]''
-*[[Threshold]]
+*''[[Morbid]]''
+*''[[Parley]]''
-*[[Will of the council]]
+*''[[Radiance]]''
-{{col-end}}
+*''[[Raid]]''
+*''[[Rally]]''
+*''[[Revolt]]''
+*''[[Spell mastery]]''
+*''[[Strive]]''
+*''[[Sweep]]''
+*''[[Tempting offer]]''
+*''[[Threshold]]''
+*''[[Underdog]]''
+*''[[Undergrowth]]''
+*''[[Will of the council]]''
+}}
 ==See also==
-*[[Gotcha]]
+*[[Gotcha!]]
 *[[Hero's Reward]]
 *[[Spiritcraft]]
 ==References==
 {{Reflist}}
+{{Mechanics|ability}}
-[[Category:Magic rules]]
-[[Category:Ability words|*]]
+[[Category:Ability words| ]]