_Magic: The Gathering_(R) Rulings & Errata
A Summary of Recent Rulings
October 2003
Compiled by the Magic Rules Team
This document covers issues arising from the release of the
_Mirrodin_(TM) set.
ERRATA -- ALL LANGUAGES
* Quicksilver Fountain (English and all other languages)
The text of Quicksilver Fountain is incorrect in all languages. As
printed, the controller of the Fountain chooses a target for the
ability both when it's targeting lands he or she controls and when it's
targeting lands his or her opponents control. To solve this problem,
the phrase "of his or her choice" has been added.
The Oracle wording of Quicksilver Fountain has been changed to:
Quicksilver Fountain
{3}
Artifact
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player puts a flood
counter on target non-Island land he or she controls of his or her
choice. That land is an Island as long as it has a flood counter on it.
At end of turn, if all lands in play are Islands, remove all flood
counters from them.
----ERRATA -- CHINESE SIMPLIFIED AND CHINESE TRADITIONAL ONLY
* Oblivion Stone (Chinese Simplified and Chinese Traditional)
The Chinese Simplified and Chinese Traditional versions of Oblivion
Stone tell players to destroy each nonland permanent with a fate
counter on it. It should read "destroy each nonland permanent without a
fate counter on it."
The Oracle text of Oblivion Stone is:
Oblivion Stone
{3}
Artifact
{4}, {T}: Put a fate counter on target permanent.
{5}, {T}, Sacrifice Oblivion Stone: Destroy each nonland permanent
without a fate counter on it, then remove all fate counters from all
permanents.
----ERRATA -- JAPANESE ONLY
* Farsight Mask (Japanese)
The Japanese Farsight Mask's ability is not optional. It should say
"*you may* draw a card."
The Oracle text of Farsight Mask is:
Farsight Mask
{5}
Artifact
Whenever a source an opponent controls deals damage to you, if Farsight
Mask is untapped, you may draw a card.
* Psychogenic Probe (Japanese)
The Japanese version of Psychogenic Probe uses an incorrect template.
It was printed using the word "if." Its ability is a triggered ability
and so should have been printed using the word "whenever."
The Oracle text of Psychogenic Probe is:
Psychogenic Probe
{2}
Artifact
Whenever a spell or ability causes a player to shuffle his or her
library, Psychogenic Probe deals 2 damage to him or her.
* Talisman of Impulse (Japanese)
The Japanese Talisman of Impulse lists the wrong colors of mana in its
text box (it lists white and green). It should add {R} or {G} to your
mana pool.
The Oracle text of Talisman of Impulse is:
Talisman of Impulse
{2}
Artifact
{T}: Add {1} to your mana pool.
{T}: Add {R} or {G} to your mana pool. Talisman of Impulse deals 1
damage to you.
----ERRATA -- SPANISH ONLY
* Oblivion Stone (Spanish)
The Spanish version of Oblivion Stone tells players to destroy each
nonland permanent with a fate counter on it. It should read "destroy
each nonland permanent *without* a fate counter on it."
The Oracle text of Oblivion Stone is:
Oblivion Stone
{3}
Artifact
{4}, {T}: Put a fate counter on target permanent.
{5}, {T}, Sacrifice Oblivion Stone: Destroy each nonland permanent
without a fate counter on it, then remove all fate counters from all
permanents.
* Awe Strike (Spanish)
The Spanish version of Awe Strike prevents damage dealt to the targeted
creature. It should read "The next time target creature *would deal*
damage this turn, prevent that damage."
The Oracle text of Awe Strike is:
Awe Strike
{W}
Instant
The next time target creature would deal damage this turn, prevent that
damage. You gain life equal to the damage prevented this way.
* Promise of Power (Spanish)
The Spanish version of Promise of Power doesn't list the token's color.
The token should be black.
The Oracle text of Promise of Power is:
Promise of Power
{2}{B}{B}{B}
Sorcery
Choose one -- You draw five cards and you lose 5 life; or put a black
Demon creature token with flying into play with power and toughness
each equal to the number of cards in your hand as the token comes into
play.
Entwine {4} (Choose both if you pay the entwine cost.)
----GENERAL MIRRODIN RULINGS
Imprint
A minor revision to the imprint rules has been made to clarify the
imprint ability's interaction with phasing and other subtle game rules.
The complete imprint rules and some important rulings are as follows:
502.34. Imprint
502.34a Imprint is a static ability, written "Imprint -- [text]." The
phrase "Imprint -- [ability]" means "Cards in the removed-from-game
zone that were removed from the game by this ability are imprinted on
this permanent."
502.34b The phrase "imprinted [type] card" means the card of that type
that's imprinted on the permanent. If a permanent has more than one
card of that type imprinted on it, each of those cards is an "imprinted
[type] card."
* If you imprint a card on Isochron Scepter or Spellweaver Helix and
that card has an additional cost, such as a kicker, buyback, or entwine
cost, you can pay the additional costs for that card as you play it.
* If you imprint a card on Isochron Scepter or Spellweaver Helix and
that card has an alternative cost, such as "You may return an Island
you control to its owner's hand rather than pay this spell's mana
cost," you can't pay the alternative cost as you play the card, because
you're already playing it without paying its mana cost.
* If you imprint a card with an alternate or additional cost on Soul
Foundry, you can't pay those costs, because you're just putting a copy
of the card into play.
* If Isochron Scepter or Spellweaver Helix leaves play while its "play
a copy of the imprinted card" ability is on the stack, its ability will
use last known information to know what the imprinted card is. A copy
of the card will be made, and it can be played as normal.
* If the card imprinted on Isochron Scepter or Spellweaver Helix leaves
the removed-from-game zone while the "play a copy of the imprinted
card" ability is on the stack, there's no longer an imprinted card. A
copy of the card can't be made in this case.
* If a permanent with imprint phases out and back in, it's the same
permanent, so any cards imprinted on it remain imprinted on it.
----Isochron Scepter
{2}
Artifact
Imprint -- When Isochron Scepter comes into play, you may remove an
instant card with converted mana cost 2 or less in your hand from the
game. (The removed card is imprinted on this artifact.)
{2}, {T}: You may copy the imprinted instant card and play the copy
without paying its mana cost.
* Isochron Scepter can imprint any split card which has a side with
converted mana cost 2 or less. Once you've imprinted a split card on
Isochron Scepter, you can play either side of that split card, even if
the side has converted mana cost of 3 or more. (The split cards
Fire/Ice, Illusion/Reality, Night/Day, Stand/Deliver, and Wax/Wane all
have at least one side with converted mana cost 2 or less.)
----Platinum Angel
{7}
Artifact Creature -- Angel
4/4
Flying
You can't lose the game and your opponents can't win the game.
* Platinum Angel can't prevent tournament penalties from judges, such
as game losses and match losses. These penalties supercede all cards in
the game and all rules in the _Magic_(R) Comprehensive Rules.
* If you control a Platinum Angel, you can still concede. The Angel's
ability doesn't stop you from conceding.
* If your life total is 20 or more and you control both Platinum Angel
and Transcendence, an infinite loop is created. Transcendence will
trigger because you have 20 or more life, but Platinum Angel will
prevent you from losing. So Transcendence will immediately trigger
again. If neither player wants to break the loop (by removing either
permanent from play), the game ends in a draw.
----All trademarks, including character names, are property of Wizards of
the Coast, Inc. in the U.S.A. and other countries. (Copr.)2003 Wizards.