Mechanics

Keyword Abilities

Several of my cards use one or more original keyword abilities or ability words which do not exist in the canon MTG rulebook, yet they still need some explanation and rules support in order to be better understood. I will attempt to do that in this section.

Burst

• Burst is a static ability.
• When you are searching your library, you may cast any number of cards with Burst that are in it (as long as you have enough mana to pay for each one).
• This ability only works when you are searching your own library and only when the card that allows you to do so uses the words “search” and “library” explicitly.
• Casting a card with burst works exactly the same as casting any other card, except for the timing of when it can be cast (it occurs during the resolution of another spell or ability) and the zone it is cast from.
• The card cast this way goes on the stack and you may activate any mana abilities during this time.
• A card with Burst can also be cast normally from your hand.
• If you want to cast a card with Burst while you are searching your library, you must do so before finding any cards with the search effect.
• Multiple instances of Burst are redundant.

Retaliate

• Retaliate is a triggered ability written “Retaliate: [some effect]” which means “Whenever a permanent you control with Retaliate becomes the target spell or ability an opponent controls, [some effect]”
• Retaliate only works on permanents (not on cards on a graveyard, for example)
• If you have multiple permanents with Retaliate and any one of them becomes target such a spell or ability, all of those permanents Retaliate abilities will trigger at the same time and are put on the stack on any order the controller of those permanents choses.
• If a permanent with Retaliate stops being the target of such a spell or ability before the Retaliate triggered ability resolves, the ability stays on the stack as normal.
• If such a spell or ability targets a permanent with Retaliate more than once, the Retaliate ability triggers once for each time it was targeted.
• Retaliate triggers when the target of an existing ability is changed to the permanent with Retaliate, for example when a card such as Shunt or Deflection is used. However, it doesn’t trigger when an already targeted spell changes controllers, for example when Commandeer is used.
• Multiple instances of retaliate are cumulative, each triggers separately.

Planecast

• Planecast is a static ability that functions while the spell with Planecast is on the stack.
• “Planecast [number]” means “As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may remove any number of loyalty counters from planeswalkers you control. Each loyalty counter removed this way reduces the cost to cast this spell by {[number]}.”
• Multiple instances of Planecast on the same spell are redundant if they have the same [number].
• If two of more instances of Planecast with different [number] are on the same card, you can choose to use either, any or none of them. In practice you would probably only use the largest one.
• You can use this ability even if you had already activated a planeswalker ability that turn.