Rulebook
Pure match rules for Age of Wild Magic: card effects, combat keywords, and private mana pools.
aowm-rules · v0.1.0
Two mages face off with 20 life, private mana pools, and constructed 40-card packs (max 3 copies of any card). Who goes first is random; the second player opens their first turn with 2 mana. Each player’s mana cap rises by 1 at the start of their own turn (max 7).
Each turn you may:
Some units (structures) cannot move. Newly summoned units are Dormant and cannot Act until your next turn.
Spells can be countered asyncronously by your opponent (like with the "Dispel" spell).
The battlefield has two rows of 5 slots each:
Units (creature or structure) die when marked damage is greater than or equal to their toughness. Spells are not units. Structures occupy slots but cannot attack. Units with notMovable (all current structures) cannot move. More details in the combat section.
When both players ready, initiative is chosen at random. The opening player starts turn 1 with 1 mana.
Each player has a private mana pool. The opening player starts their first turn on 1 mana; the second player opens on 2. At the beginning of each of your turns, your mana cap rises by 1 (capped at 7) and your remaining mana refills to that cap.
Unused mana stays available during the opponent’s turn, so you can pay for Dispel. It is replaced when your next turn starts.
Arcane Conduit and similar effects add bonus remaining mana on top of the cap at the start of your turn.
Each player has a face-up cemetery (spent spells and destroyed units). When you would draw and your deck is empty, shuffle your cemetery into a new deck, then draw. If both piles are empty, you draw nothing.
At the table: put spent and dead cards in a face-up discard pile; when you would draw from an empty library, shuffle that pile into a new deck.
Creatures track action availability separately from defensive capability. An attack is an action. Spending that action does not make a creature unable to defend.
Wire fields on each board unit: dormant, actionUsed, and statuses[]. Public state also sends derived flying, lostFlying, cannotAct, and hold-turn fields. Ready is not a stored field — it means !dormant && !actionUsed and no Cannot Act status. Lobby players[].ready is unrelated.
``mermaid stateDiagram-v2 [*] --> Dormant: summon Dormant --> Ready: next turn Ready --> ActionUsed: Move or Attack ActionUsed --> Ready: next turn ``
Lifecycle: Summon → Dormant → Ready → (Move or Attack) → Action Used → Ready.
When a creature enters the board it is Dormant. On its controller’s next turn it becomes Ready and may Act once: either move or attack. After it Acts, it is Action Used until the start of that controller’s next turn, when it becomes Ready again.
The core decision: spend the Action attacking now, or spend it improving position for later.
A newly summoned creature enters play Dormant (dormant: true).
A Dormant creature:
At the beginning of its controller’s next turn, it leaves Dormant and becomes Ready.
Ready means the creature is not Dormant, has not used its action this turn, and is not under a Cannot Act hold.
A Ready creature:
When a Ready creature Acts (by moving or attacking), it consumes its action for that turn.
An Action Used creature:
Action Used persists through the opponent’s turn. At the beginning of the creature’s controller’s next turn, action availability resets and the creature is Ready again (unless it is still Dormant from a later summon — Dormant and Action Used clear together at that turn start). A Cannot Act hold (cannotAct) can still block Acting after those flags clear.
Some spells (applyStatus with type cannotAct, e.g. Boulder Drop if the target survives) mark a unit Cannot Act (cannotAct: true) until the end of its controller’s next turn.
A Cannot Act creature:
Cannot Act is independent of Flying suppression: remaining controller endTurns before Cannot Act clears (typically 1 if applied off-turn, 2 if applied on that controller’s turn). Destruction skips the status.
Printed fly is not the same as current Flying. Public state sends flying: true only while the unit has printed Flying and no suppressFlying status. A grounded flyer blocks and is hittable as a non-Flying unit until its own status expires, even if Cannot Act has already ended.
Structures never attack. Units with notMovable never move or get displaced.
Physical play may track Action Used with a token, counter, or marker rather than rotating the card; the rules only require that the consumed action is visible and distinct from a universal “disabled” state.
AWMP uses action-specific state instead of a generic tapped/untapped disable:
Canonical board language for rules text. Cards name these; the engine derives them from row, slot, Flying, and blocking. Machine API: @aowm/shared → isFrontRow, isBackRow, isGrounded, isFlyingPredicate, adjacentSlots, isShielded, STATE_PREDICATE_RULEBOOK.
Unit is in its controller’s front row.
Row position only — not Ready, Flying, or blocking.
Unit is in its controller’s back row.
Row position only.
Unit does not currently have Flying.
Printed fly with an active suppressFlying status counts as Grounded. Structures are always Grounded.
Unit currently has Flying (same as combat flying).
Printed fly and no active suppressFlying status. Public match state sends this as flying.
Any board slot directly surrounding this unit, including diagonals.
Same-controller board: Moore neighborhood (up to eight surrounding slots), clipped to legal front/back indices. Hostile effects ignore friendly units in those slots.
Across the battle line: a Front-row unit is also adjacent to the opposing front slots in the same column and both diagonals (facing adjacency). Back-row units are not facing-adjacent to the enemy board.
A Back-row unit is Shielded when the Front-row slot directly in front of it (same column, same controller) is occupied by a friendly unit that blocks attacks toward the back row.
That front unit must count for Ground Melee / Ground Ranged gating: not notBlocking, and not currently Flying.
Occupancy-only cousin of Shielded. A Back-row unit is screened when *any* unit occupies the matching Front-row column — including notBlocking and Flying.
Vine Snap’s screenedAmount uses screened. Force Shield screens but does not Shield. Prefer Shielded in new card text when the front unit must actually gate ground attacks.
This section describes the default behaviour of cards during the game.
Every card is identified by a name type, prefix and a suffix. The player needs to pay the mana displayed in the top right of the corner.
A unit is a creature or a structure. Units occupy a board slot, have power and toughness, and die when marked damage is greater than or equal to toughness. Spells are not units.
Effects name the legal set: damageOneUnit (Boulder Drop, Vine Snap) may target any unit unless creaturesOnly is set. destroyCreature (Unravel) may target creatures only — never structures.
Creatures occupy a board slot, have power (damage delable by attacking) and toughness (cumulative amount of damages before to be discarded).
Every creature is tagged with a prefix and a suffix that places it a specific domain.
Special abilities/behaviour are described in the description section of the card.
Creature interaction is described in Creature action states chapter (see Board and Turns section).
Spells are cast from hand for effects; they do not stay on the board.
Non-counter spells open a short response window — the opponent may play a counter spell or pass before the spell resolves. While a spell is pending, attackers cannot Act, move, or end the turn. Full effect list is in the Effects section.
Spells can affect creatures (on the game board an in the player's hand), the player directly or any other rule of the game.
In the end it is a batte between wiwards..
Structures occupy a board slot like creatures and can perform blocking if it is not stated differently in theyr description. Most of the structures are not movable, meaning that once those are deployed cannot be placed elsewere in the board.
This is the first line of defence of the player and the row where melee units can attack the opponents deck.
To make the front row a blocking front, ther should be at least one blocking unit in it.
The front row has 5 slots.
The secont line of defense. No melee unit can attak the back row if there is at least one blocking unit on the front row.
A melee unit placed in the back row cannot attack.
As general rule, blocking unit placed in the back row cannot block attacks directed to the player.
The back row has 5 slots.
Blocking means a front-row targeting gate, not a declare-blockers step. Combat damage is one-way — the attacker deals its power (effect amount); the defender does not strike back.
Creatures and structures on the front may count as blockers; who counts depends on whether the attacker is Flying and whether the unit is notBlocking.
Dormant and Action Used creatures still count as blocking front-row units (unless notBlocking). A creature does not need to be Ready to protect the player (or to gate back-row / face targets).
Moving is an Act. A Ready unit may spend its action to change rows or slots (or swap with another of your movable units). After moving it becomes Action Used and cannot also attack that turn.
Dormant and Action Used units cannot move actively. They may still be displaced when a Ready unit swaps into their slot. Units with notMovable cannot move or be displaced by a swap. All current structures have notMovable.
A player can summon units in her/his turn, spending the requested amount of mana. A summoned unit enters Dormant and cannot Act (move or attack) until its controller’s next turn.
Spells and unblocked attacks can damage the opponent. Units with faceBlocking absorb that damage first (any row), in board order, before life is reduced.
A player loses by getting 20 damages.
Creatures with meleeAttack must fight from the front row only. A melee unit in the back cannot attack until it spends an Action to move forward (and then cannot attack until a later turn when it is Ready again).
If the enemy has any blocking front-row units for this attacker, you must attack one of them — or a front-row notBlocking unit (Force Shield, Temporal Anchor, Sublimule after it Acts). Those non-blocking front units stay legal even when a blocker is present. Once the blocking front is empty, you may attack the back row or the opposing mage.
Ground Melee cannot attack Flying creatures. Flying Melee can.
Creatures with rangedAttack may attack from the front or back row.
From either row you may shoot past a blocking front to hit front- or back-row units. Face still requires an empty blocking front (Flying alone does not close the mage against Ground Ranged; against Flying Ranged, every front unit closes the mage).
Ranged can attack Flying creatures.
Creatures with fly (Flying) change who counts as a blocker and who may be targeted:
Combat, requireFlying, and extra damage vs Flying use current Flying (printed fly and no suppressFlying status). Public match state sends this as flying. A grounded flyer blocks and is hittable as a non-Flying unit until its Flying-suppression status expires.
Some spells (requireFlying) may only be cast while you control a creature that currently has Flying. Dormant flyers still count.
Some targeted damage spells deal extra damage when the target is screened (back row, matching front column occupied — occupancy only; see State predicates). Vine Snap uses this. Occupancy is slot presence, not blocking.
Some targeted damage spells deal extra damage to Flying (Boulder Drop). If the target survives, it loses Flying and cannot Act until the end of its controller’s next turn. A grounded unit blocks like a ground creature and can be hit by ground Melee. Destruction skips the hold.
Spell effects (damage, destroy, counter, and so on) are listed in the Effects section below.
This section summarizes the default interactions between creatures in the game board. Some card might have special features that can change those rules.
An attack can deal damages to other units in the game board or to the player if certain conditions are met.
| Attacker | Hits Front unit? | Hits Back unit? | Hits Player (face)? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melee | Yes, except Flying targets | Yes [^1] | Yes [^1] |
| Ranged | Yes | Yes (may shoot past front) | Yes [^1] |
[^1]: Only if the front row has no blocking unit; special card effects may apply.
| Attacker | Hits Front unit? | Hits Back unit? | Hits Player (face)? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melee | No | No | No |
| Ranged | Yes | Yes (may shoot past front) | Yes [^2] |
[^2]: Only if the front row has no blocking unit.
A defend happens when a unit is in a blocking condition.
Dormant and Action Used creatures still count as blocking front-row units. A creature does not need to be Ready to protect the player.
| Front unit | Blocks Melee | Blocks Flying? | Blocks Ranged? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non flying units | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Flying units | No | Yes | No |
Grounded flyer (lostFlying) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
notBlocking | No | No | No |
| Back unit | Blocks Ground Melee? | Blocks Flying Melee? | Blocks Ground Ranged? | Blocks Flying Ranged? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non flying units | No | No | No | No |
| Flying units | No | No | No | No |
Deal damage to the opposing mage (face).
Timing: Resolves when a spell finishes after the opponent passes priority.
Deal damage to the opposing mage.
Units with Face Blocking on that player’s board absorb the damage first, in board order. Each unit takes marked damage until it is destroyed.
Any damage not absorbed reduces the mage’s life. If life reaches 0, that player loses.
See also: Face Blocking
Deal damage to one chosen board unit (spell).
Timing: Resolves when a spell finishes after the opponent passes priority.
Choose one unit (creature or structure) and deal damage to it.
By default the target may be yours or an opponent’s. Some spells restrict you to friendly units only, or to creatures only (structures are then illegal).
Some spells deal extra damage when the target is screened: in the back row with any unit occupying the front-row slot directly in front of it. This is based on slot occupancy only — not the same as Shielded. Units with Not Blocking still count as screening.
Some spells deal a different amount when the target currently has Flying. If both a screened bonus and a Flying bonus would apply, the Flying amount takes precedence.
If marked damage on the unit is greater than or equal to its effective toughness, destroy it.
Creature combat damage comes from Melee or Ranged attack keywords, not from this spell effect.
See also: Melee Attack, Ranged Attack, Apply Status, Destroy Creature
Destroy one chosen creature (not a structure).
Timing: Resolves when a spell finishes after the opponent passes priority.
Choose one creature on either side of the board and destroy it.
Structures are never legal targets.
The creature goes to its owner's cemetery. Its toughness and any damage already marked on it do not matter.
To damage or destroy structures, or to destroy a creature by dealing lethal damage, use a spell that deals damage to a unit instead.
See also: Damage One Unit
Add mana to the caster's remaining pool.
Timing: On board units: when the unit is played. On spells: when the spell resolves after priority is passed.
Add mana to the caster’s remaining pool for this turn.
This does not raise the player’s mana cap — it only adds spendable mana right now.
Cancel an opposing spell during the response window.
Timing: When cast during an opposing spell’s response window — resolves immediately and does not open its own response window.
You may play this only while an opposing spell is waiting for a response and it is your turn to respond.
Pay this card’s mana cost from your remaining mana, remove it from your hand, and cancel the opposing spell. That spell’s effects never resolve.
You cannot counter your own spell.
Attack only from the front row; deal combat damage.
Timing: Combat — when this creature attacks on its controller’s turn.
A creature with Melee may attack only from the front row.
If the opponent has any blocking front-row units, you must attack one of them. Once the blocking front is empty, you may attack a back-row unit or the opposing mage.
Flying front-row units do not block ground Melee attackers, but they do block Flying Melee attackers.
Ground Melee cannot attack Flying creatures. Flying Melee can.
The damage dealt is set on the card — usually equal to the creature’s power, sometimes power plus a bonus.
Damage is applied to the target unit’s toughness. If marked damage meets or exceeds effective toughness, the unit is destroyed.
See also: Ranged Attack, Flying
Attack from either row; deal combat damage.
Timing: Combat — when this creature attacks on its controller’s turn.
A creature with Ranged may attack from the front or back row. Melee creatures may attack only from the front.
From either row, Ranged attackers may shoot past a blocking front row to hit front- or back-row units. Attacking the opposing mage still requires an empty blocking front.
Flying front-row units do not block ground Ranged attackers for face damage, but they do block Flying Ranged attackers.
Ranged attackers can attack Flying creatures.
The damage dealt is set on the card — usually equal to the creature’s power, sometimes power plus a bonus.
Damage is applied to the target unit’s toughness. If marked damage meets or exceeds effective toughness, the unit is destroyed.
See also: Melee Attack, Flying
Does not block ground Melee or Ranged; blocks Flying attackers. Ground Melee cannot target it.
Timing: Combat — when attacking or when declared as a target.
A Flying creature does not count as a front-row blocker for ground Melee or ground Ranged attackers. If every front-row unit is Flying, those attackers may treat the front as open for back-row units or the opposing mage.
Flying creatures do block Flying attackers, along with every other front-row unit that blocks.
Ground Melee cannot attack Flying creatures. Ranged and Flying Melee can.
Whether a unit is Flying depends on its current state: it must have Flying and not be under an effect that suppresses Flying. A grounded flyer blocks and can be targeted like a non-Flying unit until that effect ends.
See also: Melee Attack, Ranged Attack, Apply Status
Cannot move or be displaced by a swap.
Timing: Always — when attempting to move this unit or land on its slot.
This unit cannot change rows or slots after it enters play.
Other units cannot swap into its slot — the unit stays where it was placed.
All structures have this keyword. Some creatures do as well.
Never counts toward the blocking front.
Timing: Combat — when determining which front-row units block an attacker.
This unit never counts as a front-row blocker — not for ground attackers and not for Flying attackers.
It may still be attacked directly as a board target, even when other front-row units are blocking. It does not gate access to the back row or the opposing mage.
Unlike Flying, which blocks only Flying attackers, Not Blocking applies to every attacker type.
See also: Flying, Face Blocking, Melee Attack, Ranged Attack, Not Blocking On Act
Cannot block on the turn it Acts. After it moves or attacks, it does not count for the blocking front until its Action Used flag clears.
Timing: Combat — when determining which front-row units block an attacker. Action Used persists through the opponent’s turn.
While this unit has not Acted, it blocks like any other front-row creature — including while Dormant.
Once it Acts (move or attack), it is treated as Not Blocking until Action Used clears (the start of its controller’s next turn).
Activated abilities that do not spend Action (Pact, Dryad heal) do not trigger this.
It may still be attacked as a board target, even when other front-row units are blocking. It does not soak face damage (faceBlocking is separate).
See also: Not Blocking, Melee Attack, Face Blocking
Absorbs damage aimed at the controller before life is reduced.
Timing: Whenever damage would reduce the controller’s life.
When the controlling mage would take damage — from combat or a spell — this unit absorbs it first, in board order. The unit takes marked damage toward its toughness.
If the unit is destroyed, any remaining damage passes to the next Face Blocking unit, then to the mage’s life.
Face Blocking works from any row. It does not by itself make the front row a blocking front for attacks. A unit can absorb face damage without blocking attackers.
See also: Damage Opponent, Not Blocking
You must control a Flying creature to cast this spell.
Timing: Checked when the spell is played, before the response window opens.
You may cast this spell only if you control at least one creature that currently has Flying.
Dormant and Action Used flyers still count — you need control, not a Ready creature.
Structures never count toward this requirement.
If the requirement is not met, the spell stays in your hand and no mana is spent.
See also: Flying, Apply Status
Attach a named status to the target.
Timing: Resolves when a spell finishes after the opponent passes priority.
Attach a temporary status to a unit (creature or structure). The target is usually the same unit chosen by an earlier effect on the same spell.
The status lasts until its duration ends. A common duration is until the end of that unit’s controller’s next turn — meaning through this turn and the next if it is already their turn.
If the target left the board before this resolves, nothing happens.
A Suppress Flying status does nothing if the target is not currently Flying.
Different status types expire independently. While active, a status may prevent the unit from Acting or from counting as Flying.
See also: Flying, Prevent Act, Suppress Flying, Damage One Unit
Target loses Flying until the end of its controller’s next turn.
Timing: Resolves when a spell finishes after the opponent passes priority.
The target loses Flying until the end of its controller’s next turn.
While grounded this way, the unit is treated as not Flying for blocking, targeting, and cast restrictions.
If the target was destroyed by an earlier effect on the same spell, this does nothing.
If the target is not currently Flying, this does nothing.
See also: Apply Status, Flying, Prevent Act
Target cannot Act until the end of its controller’s next turn.
Timing: Resolves when a spell finishes after the opponent passes priority.
The target cannot Act until the end of its controller’s next turn.
While affected, the unit cannot move or attack, even if it would otherwise be Ready.
It may still block attacks and be targeted by spells. Dormant and Action Used still apply as usual once the status ends.
If the target was destroyed by an earlier effect on the same spell, this does nothing.
See also: Apply Status, Suppress Flying
While this unit is in play, matching friendly units gain power and toughness bonuses or penalties.
Timing: Continuous — while the source unit remains on its controller’s board.
While this unit is on the board, matching friendly units on the same side get bonuses or penalties to power and/or toughness.
Positive values increase a stat; negative values decrease it. A stat that is not listed is unchanged.
Some Buffs apply only to creatures, only to structures, or only to units with a matching type line (prefix or suffix).
Combat and damage use the effective power and toughness after all Buffs. The numbers printed on the card stay as the base values.
When a Buff source leaves play, every surviving unit is checked again. Any unit whose damage is greater than or equal to its new effective toughness is destroyed.
See also: Melee Attack, Ranged Attack
The first time this unit moves each turn, deal damage to one enemy unit.
Timing: After the unit successfully moves: if this is its first move this turn and an enemy unit is on the board, the controller must choose a target before continuing. If no enemies remain, the trigger is skipped.
The first time this unit moves on its controller’s turn, if the opponent has at least one unit, open a targeting window and deal the listed damage to the chosen enemy unit.
The move happens first; damage is chosen afterward. Later moves the same turn do not trigger again. Being swapped when another unit moves does not count as this unit moving.
If no enemy units are on the board when the move resolves, skip the trigger.
See also: Damage One Unit, Ranged Attack
Whenever this deals damage to a unit, ping the opposing mage and/or splash an adjacent unit.
Timing: After this unit deals at least 1 damage to a board unit (combat or a move strike). Attacking the mage directly does not trigger this.
Whenever this unit deals damage to a unit, apply each listed follow-up.
Opponent: deal that much to the opposing mage. Face Blocking absorbs as usual. The ping happens even if the damaged unit is destroyed.
Adjacent: if another unit is Adjacent to the damaged unit (same-board Moore neighborhood, including diagonals; hostile effects ignore friendlies), choose one and deal that much damage. If the damaged unit leaves play, measure from its last slot. If no adjacent unit remains, skip. Attacking the mage (face) does not trigger this.
See also: Ranged Attack, Damage Opponent, Face Blocking
Move a friendly creature. That move does not use its Action.
Timing: Resolves when a spell finishes after the opponent passes priority.
Choose one friendly creature you control that can move, and a new board slot for it.
The creature relocates (and may swap with another of your movable units). This does not mark Action Used — a Ready creature stays Ready to Act afterward.
The move still counts as that creature moving for first-move triggers (for example Stormcaller).
Dormant creatures and creatures that already Acted may be moved this way.
Structures and units that cannot move are illegal targets.
See also: On First Move Damage, Ranged Attack
Once per your turn, clear damage from this unit or an adjacent friendly unit.
Timing: Activated on your turn while you control this unit. Does not use Action. Cannot be used while a spell or move strike is pending.
Once on your turn, choose this unit or an adjacent friendly unit that has damage marked on it, and clear the listed amount of damage (up to its current damage).
This does not mark Action Used — the unit may still Act (move or attack) the same turn.
Adjacent uses the same-board Moore neighborhood (including diagonals). Facing adjacency across the battle line does not apply.
Dormant units may still use this ability. The once-per-turn flag resets at the start of your next turn.
See also: Melee Attack, Buff
Once per your turn, you may deal damage to this unit to give it extra power until end of turn.
Timing: Activated on your turn while you control this unit. Does not use Action. Cannot be used while a spell or pending strike is waiting.
Once on your turn, you may deal the listed damage to this unit. If you do, it gets the listed Power until end of turn.
This does not mark Action Used — the unit may still Act (move or attack) the same turn, using the new Power.
Pact is not cumulative: you cannot activate it again this turn, and a second Pact would not stack.
If the damage is lethal, the unit is destroyed and the Power bonus never applies.
Dormant units may still use Pact. The once-per-turn flag resets at the start of your next turn.
See also: Ranged Attack, Heal Adjacent Ally, Buff
On play, choose a friendly creature; it cannot Act for the rest of this turn.
Timing: When the card enters play (structures and creatures with this effect).
As this card enters play, choose a friendly creature you control.
If a type-line suffix is listed (for example Arcane), only creatures with that suffix are legal.
The chosen creature cannot Act until the end of this turn. That does not spend its Action flag — it simply cannot move or attack while the status remains.
You must have a legal creature to play this card.
See also: Prevent Act, Apply Status, Friendly Spell Ward
On play, choose another unit. It cannot attack until your next turn.
Timing: When this creature enters play. Optional if no other unit is present.
As this card enters play, you may choose another unit (creature or structure) on either board.
That unit cannot attack until your next turn. It may still move, block, and use activated abilities.
The lock lasts through the target’s next controller end-turn — an enemy skips its upcoming attack; a friendly unit is free again on your next turn.
You may play this card with no target when the board is empty. You cannot Anchor this unit itself.
See also: Prevent Act, Apply Status, Drain Energy
While this unit is in play, friendly units cannot be targeted by spells.
Timing: Continuous while this unit remains on the board.
While this unit is on your board, friendly units (including this one) cannot be chosen as targets of spells.
This blocks both your spells and the opponent’s. Spells that do not target a unit (for example face damage only, or Dispel) are unaffected.
Combat attacks are not spells and may still hit these units.
See also: Drain Energy, Spell Untargetable, Damage One Unit, Destroy Creature
This unit cannot be targeted by spells.
Timing: Continuous while this unit remains on the board.
This unit cannot be chosen as a target of spells — yours or the opponent’s.
Spells that do not target a unit (face damage only, Dispel) are unaffected. Combat attacks may still hit this unit.
See also: Friendly Spell Ward, Damage One Unit, Destroy Creature
While Front-row, facing-adjacent Grounded enemies cannot move.
Timing: Continuous while this unit is on the Front-row.
While this unit is Front-row, each Grounded enemy unit in a facing-adjacent Front-row slot (same column and both diagonals across the battle line) cannot move.
Pinned units cannot Act-move, be swapped as a move partner, or be relocated by move spells. Flying enemies are not Grounded and are unaffected.
If this unit leaves the Front-row (or leaves play), the pin ends immediately.
See also: Melee Attack, Flying, Not Movable
Choose a creature. Next turn it cannot attack. Does not affect beasts.
Timing: Resolves when a spell finishes after the opponent passes priority.
Choose a creature on either board. Next turn that creature cannot attack. It may still move, block, and use activated abilities.
The lock lasts through the target’s next controller end-turn — an enemy skips its upcoming attack.
Beasts (type-line prefix beast) are illegal. Magic beasts are a different class and remain legal.
Structures are never legal. Spell-untargetable units and friendly spell wards still apply.
See also: Anchor, Prevent Act, Apply Status
Choose an enemy unit. Until your next turn, whenever it Acts, it loses Power.
Timing: Resolves when a spell finishes after the opponent passes priority.
Choose an enemy unit. Until your next turn, whenever that unit Acts (move or attack), it loses 1 Power. The Power loss stays on the unit after the glyph fades.
The watching window lasts through the target’s next controller end-turn — typically their upcoming turn.
A cancelled Act (Temporal Anchor) still counts: the unit spent Action.
Spell-untargetable units and friendly spell wards still apply.
See also: Temporal Anchor, Pact, Apply Status
When an enemy unit Acts, you may deactivate it. Once each turn.
Timing: Triggered when an enemy unit declares a move or attack, before that Act resolves. Optional. Once per turn.
Whenever an enemy unit declares an Act (move or attack), you may deactivate it: the Act does not happen, but the unit is marked Action Used.
This ability can trigger only once each turn. Allow (pass priority) lets that Act through; you may still interrupt a later Act this turn if you have not used the ability.
Dormant Temporal Anchors may still watch — this is a triggered ability, not an Act of the structure.
See also: Anchor, Unstable Glyph, Prevent Act
Choose a friendly creature that dealt damage this turn. It gets extra toughness.
Timing: Resolves when a spell finishes after the opponent passes priority.
Choose a friendly creature that dealt damage this turn (to a unit or to the opposing mage). It gets the listed toughness, permanently on that instance.
Pact self-damage does not count. Damage soaked by Face Blocking still counts as damage this creature dealt.
Structures are never legal. Spell-untargetable units and friendly spell wards still apply.
See also: On Deal Damage To Unit, On Friendly Deal Damage, Enter Damage If Friendly Damage, Buff
Whenever another friendly creature deals damage, this gets extra power and toughness until your next turn. Optional suffix restricts which dealers count.
Timing: After another friendly creature deals at least 1 damage (combat, a move strike, splash, a face ping, an enter ping, or Pact). This unit’s own damage does not count. Spells are not creatures.
Whenever another friendly creature deals damage, this unit gets the listed power and toughness until the end of your next turn.
Optional suffix on the effect: only dealers whose type-line suffix matches count (e.g. fire).
Each hit stacks. This unit’s own attacks do not trigger it. Face-only spells do not trigger it.
The bonus lasts through the opponent’s turn and your next combat, then fades. If toughness fades while this unit has too much marked damage, it is destroyed.
See also: On Deal Damage To Unit, Cinder Brand, Pact, Buff
If a friendly creature dealt damage this turn, when this enters, deal damage to a chosen unit.
Timing: When this unit enters play. Requires a target only if the condition is met.
If a friendly creature dealt damage this turn (to a unit or to the opposing mage), as this unit enters you choose a unit and deal the listed damage to it.
Pact self-damage does not count. Face-only spells do not count. Face Blocking soak still counts as damage that creature dealt.
The ping is not a spell — spell wards and spell-untargetable do not stop it.
If no friendly creature has dealt damage this turn, play this with no target.
This unit still enters Dormant.
See also: Cinder Brand, On Friendly Deal Damage, On Deal Damage To Unit, Damage One Unit