Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules Part 26

The mana cost of a card is indicated by the mana symbols printed on its upper right corner. If a card has no mana symbols printed in its upper right corner, it has no mana cost. Land cards and face-down spells and permanents normally have no mana cost. Tokens have no mana cost unless the effect that creates them specifies otherwise. A copy of an object copies that object's mana cost. See rule 203, "Mana Cost and Color."

Mana Pool

When an effect creates mana, that mana goes into the player's mana pool. From there, it can be used to pay for spells and abilities. The mana can be used immediately to pay a cost, or stored in the mana pool for use later in the phase. The mana pool is cleared at the end of each phase. See also Mana Burn.

Mana Source (Obsolete)

Some older cards were printed with the type "mana source." All mana source cards are now instant cards. Abilities that used to read "Play this ability as a mana source" are now mana abilities.

Mana Symbol

The mana symbols are {W}, {U}, {B}, {R}, {G}, {X}, {Y}, and {Z}; the numerals {0}, {1}, {2}, {3}, {4}, and so on; the hybrid symbols {W/U}, {W/B}, {U/B}, {U/R}, {B/R}, {B/G}, {R/G}, {R/W}, {G/W}, and {G/U}; and the snow symbol {S}. See rule 104.3.

Each of the colored mana symbols represents one colored mana: {W} white, {U} blue, {B} black, {R} red, and {G} green. See rule 104.3a.

Numeral symbols (such as {1}) are generic mana costs and represent an amount of mana that can be paid with any color of, or colorless, mana. See rule 104.3b.

The symbols {X}, {Y} and {Z} represent unspecified amounts of mana; when playing a spell or activated ability with {X}, {Y}, or {Z} in its cost, its controller decides the value of that variable. See rule 104.3c.

Numeral symbols and variable symbols can also represent colorless mana if they appear in the effect of a spell or of a mana ability that reads "add [mana symbol] to your mana pool" or something similar. See rule 104.3d.

The symbol {0} represents zero mana and is used as a placeholder when a spell or activated ability costs nothing to play. A spell or ability whose cost is {0} must still be played the same way as one with a cost greater than zero; it won't play itself automatically. See rule 104.3e.

Each of the hybrid mana symbols represents a cost which can be paid with one of two colors: {W/U} in a cost can be paid with either white or blue mana, {W/B} white or black, {U/B} blue or black, {U/R} blue or red, {B/R} black or red, {B/G} black or green, {R/G} red or green, {R/W} red or white, {G/W} green or white, and {G/U} green or blue. See rule 104.3f.

The symbol {S} represents a cost that can be paid with one mana produced by a snow permanent. See rule 104.3h.

Match

A match is a series of Magic games and is important only for tournament or league play. A two-player match usually consists of the best two of three games, or sometimes the best three of five. A multiplayer match usually consists of only one game. For more information, consult the DCI Magic Floor Rules (www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/doccenter/home).

Maximum Hand Size

Each player's maximum hand size is normally seven cards, though effects may modify this. As the first part of the active player's cleanup step, if he or she has too many cards in his or her hand, that player chooses and discards as many cards as needed to reduce his or her hand to its maximum size (but no more than that). See rule 314, "Cleanup Step."

Modal, Mode

A spell or ability is modal if it is written "choose one -" or "[a specified player] chooses one -." Modal spells and abilities offer a choice of effects. A modal spell or ability's controller must choose the mode as part of playing the spell or ability or as part of putting the ability on the stack (in the case of triggered abilities); see rule 409.1b. A modal replacement effect's mode is chosen as it's applied; see rule 419.6g.

Modular

Modular represents both a static ability and a triggered ability. "Modular N" means "This permanent comes into play with N +1/+1 counters on it" and "When this permanent is put into a graveyard from play, you may put a +1/+1 counter on target artifact creature for each +1/+1 counter on this permanent." See rule 502.35, "Modular."

Mono Artifact (Obsolete)

Some older cards used the term "mono artifact" on the card's type line. They were artifacts that had activated abilities that included the tap symbol. Cards that were printed with the term "mono artifact" now simply use "artifact."

Monocolored

A monocolored card has exactly one color. A colorless card isn't monocolored.

Morph

Morph is a static ability that functions any time you could play the card it's on, and the morph effect works any time the card is face down. "Morph [cost]" means "You may play this card as a 2/2 face-down creature, with no text, no name, no subtypes, no expansion symbol, and no mana cost by paying {3} rather than its mana cost." Any time you could play an instant, you may show all players the morph cost for any face-down permanent you control, pay that cost, then turn the permanent face up. This action doesn't use the stack. See rule 502.26, "Morph."

Mountain

"Mountain" is one of the five basic land types. Any land with the land type Mountain has the ability "{T}: Add {R} to your mana pool." See rule 212.6d.

Mountaincycling

See Landcycling.

Mountainwalk

See Landwalk.

Move

To move a counter means to take it from where it currently is and put it onto another object. If the object the counter would move from has no counters, or either that object or any possible objects the counter would move onto are no longer in the correct zone when the effect would move the counter, nothing happens.

Some older cards used "move" to describe taking an Aura on one permanent and putting it onto another. These cards now say "attach."

Mulligan

A player can "mulligan" by shuffling his or her hand back into his or her library and drawing a new hand with one fewer card before taking the first turn. Any player dissatisfied with his or her starting hand may mulligan as often as he or she wishes, drawing one fewer card each time. See rule 101.4.