Card type
Planeswalker
A legendary ally with loyalty. You may activate one ability on your turn.
- What it does
- A character on the battlefield who is not a creature. Opponents can attack them instead of you.
- When you play it
- Cast on your main phase. Then you may use one loyalty ability each turn, on your turn, as a sorcery.
- Beginner trap
- Using more than one loyalty ability in a turn, or blocking for a planeswalker with a creature that was already tapped.
Loyalty is the number in the corner. Plus abilities add loyalty. Minus abilities spend it. If loyalty hits 0, the planeswalker is gone.
You may activate one ability per planeswalker per turn, only when you could cast a sorcery. Ultimate abilities are the expensive minus — they are allowed to win the game.
Combat can be redirected: attackers may point at a planeswalker. You may block those attackers as usual. Damage to a planeswalker removes loyalty.
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More card types
Land
Not a spell. Tap for mana. One land per turn is the usual rule.
Creature
Attacks and blocks. Power / toughness is the bottom-right box.
Instant
A one-shot you can cast on either turn, as long as you have priority.
Sorcery
A one-shot that waits for your main phase. Bigger effects, slower door.
Artifact
A permanent, usually colorless. Equipment, rocks, and machines.
Enchantment
A lasting spell on the table — a rule that stays, or an Aura on one thing.