Phased out (together with its opposite, phased in) is part of a permanent's status, like tapped or face down. Like all status, only permanents can be phased out. A phased-out permanent is treated for most purposes as though it didn't exist. Permanents enter the battlefield phased in by default. Usually if a permanent is phased out it's because it, or something it's attached to, has phasing (q.v.).
Rules[ | ]
From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (April 12, 2024—Outlaws of Thunder Junction)
- Phased In, Phased Out
- A status a permanent may have. Phased-in is the default status. Phased-out permanents are treated as though they do not exist. See rule 110.5 and rule 702.26, “Phasing.” (“Phased-out” was a zone in older versions of the rules.)
Phased-out zone[ | ]
The phased-out zone is an obsolete game zone. Prior to the Magic 2010 rules update, permanents that phase out (and any Auras or Equipment attached to them) would be put into the phased-out zone to indicate their new status.[1][2][3] Despite changing game zones, the original phasing rules treated phased-out permanents as though they hadn't changed zones. This was unintuitive, so this was changed to the current functionality of a phased-out permanent being treated as though it didn't exist, without actually changing zones.
From the Comprehensive Rules (date unknown)
- 217.8. Phased Out (Obsolete)
- 217.8a Permanents that phase out are placed in the phased-out zone. (See rule 502.15, “Phasing.”)
- 217.8b Face-up objects in the phased-out zone may be examined by any player at any time. Face-down objects in the phased-out zone are covered by the rules for face-down permanents. (See rule 502.26, “Morph,” and rule 504, “Face-Down Spells and Permanents.”)
- 217.8c Phased-out objects are not in play, so they do not count as tapped or untapped, nor are they controlled by anyone. However, an object in this zone “remembers” the state of the permanent as it phased out and returns to play in the same state as when it left. (See rule 502.15, “Phasing.”)
- 217.8d Tokens in the phased-out zone cease to exist. This is a state-based effect (see rule 420, “State-Based Effects”). Any phased-out Auras, Equipment, or Fortifications that were attached to those tokens remain phased out for the rest of the game.
See also[ | ]
- Phasing - for the current phasing rules
References[ | ]
- ↑ Magic Arcana (August 9, 2002). "Old cards, new words". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (September 6, 2002). "Early phasing". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Gottlieb (July 8, 2009). "July 2009 Update Bulletin". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.