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The '''Comprehensive Rules''' is designed to be the end-all, be-all documentation of ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'' rules.
 
The '''Comprehensive Rules''' is designed to be the end-all, be-all documentation of ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'' rules.
   
In the Comprehensive Rules, everything from [[banding]] to the layering of [[continuous effect]]s is described and explained. As [[Wizards of the Coast]] warns, it is not for the faint of heart. While ''all'' the rules for ''Magic'' are in the Comprehensive Rules, it's not meant for everyday use; rather, it's reserved for specific cases during competitive games. In most ordinary situations, the [http://media.wizards.com/2014/docs/EN_M15_QckStrtBklt_LR_Crop.pdf basic rulebook] is sufficient.
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In the Comprehensive Rules, everything from [[banding]] to the layering of [[continuous effect]]s are described and explained. As [[Wizards of the Coast]] warns, it is not for the faint of heart. While ''all'' the rules for ''Magic'' are in the Comprehensive Rules, it's not meant for everyday use; rather, it's reserved for specific cases during competitive games. In most ordinary situations, the [http://media.wizards.com/2014/docs/EN_M15_QckStrtBklt_LR_Crop.pdf basic rulebook] is sufficient.
   
 
==History==
 
==History==
The ''[[Fourth Edition]]'' card set, released in mid-1995, marked [[Fourth Edition/Rules changes|the first attempt]] to formalize ''Magic'' rules into a coherent system.<ref>{{NewRef|simple-rules-are-holy-grail-magic-2009-06-01|Simple Rules are the Holy Grail of Magic|Dan Gray|June 01, 2009}}</ref> Major overhauls were executed for ''[[5th Edition/Rules changes|Fifth Edition]]'',<ref>[[Tom Wylie]], ''Leaner and Meaner''. ''[[The Duelist]]'', "Murk Dwellers", October 1996, p. 51</ref> ''[[6th Edition/Rules changes|Classic Sixth Edition]]'',<ref>[https://www.wizards.com/magic/advanced/6e/6e_letter.asp Bill Rose (January, 1999) Letter to the ''Magic'' Player Community]</ref> and ''[[Magic 2010#Rules changes|Magic 2010]]''.<ref>{{NewRef|news/magic-2010-rules-changes-2009-06-10|''Magic 2010'' Rules Changes|[[Aaron Forsythe]] and [[Mark L. Gottlieb]]|June 10, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{NewRef|making-magic/twenty-things-were-going-kill-magic-2013-08-01|Twenty Things That Were Going To Kill ''Magic''|[[Mark Rosewater]]|August 05, 2013}}</ref>
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The ''[[Fourth Edition]]'' card set, released in mid-1995, marked [[Fourth Edition/Rules changes|the first attempt]] to formalize ''Magic'' rules into a coherent system.<ref>{{DailyRef|simple-rules-are-holy-grail-magic-2009-06-01|Simple Rules are the Holy Grail of Magic|Dan Gray|June 1, 2009}}</ref> Major overhauls were executed for ''[[Fifth Edition/Rules changes|Fifth Edition]]'',<ref>[[Tom Wylie]] (October 1996). "Murk Dwellers". ''[[The Duelist]]'', p. 51. ''Leaner and Meaner''.</ref> ''[[Sixth Edition/Rules changes|Classic Sixth Edition]]'',<ref>Bill Rose (January 1999). "[https://www.wizards.com/magic/advanced/6e/6e_letter.asp Letter to the ''Magic'' Player Community]"</ref> and ''[[Magic 2010#Rules changes|Magic 2010]]''.<ref>{{DailyRef|news/magic-2010-rules-changes-2009-06-10|''Magic 2010'' Rules Changes|[[Aaron Forsythe]] and [[Mark L. Gottlieb]]|June 10, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/twenty-things-were-going-kill-magic-2013-08-01|Twenty Things That Were Going To Kill ''Magic''|[[Mark Rosewater]]|August 5, 2013}}</ref>
   
 
==Referencing the rules==
 
==Referencing the rules==
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{{CR|605.1}}
 
{{CR|605.1}}
   
The Comprehensive Rules are available from [http://magic.wizards.com/en/gameinfo/gameplay/formats/comprehensiverules Wizards of the Coast] in TXT, PDF, and DOCX formats, and are 226 pages long as of August 2017.
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The Comprehensive Rules are available from [http://magic.wizards.com/en/gameinfo/gameplay/formats/comprehensiverules Wizards of the Coast] in TXT, PDF, and DOCX formats, and are 252 pages long as of June 2021.
   
Rules are numbered, and many are divided into subrules. Subrules skip the lower-case letters "l" and "o", to avoid confusion with the numbers "1" and "0". So, for example, 704.5k is followed by 704.5m, then 704.5n and 704.5p.
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Rules are numbered, and many are divided into subrules. Subrules skip the lower-case letters "l" and "o", to avoid confusion with the numbers "1" and "0". So, for example, 704.5k is followed by 704.5m, then 704.5n, and 704.5p.
   
 
==Current version==
 
==Current version==
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{{Reflist}}
 
{{Reflist}}
   
{{CR Navbox|general=*}}
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{{CR Navbox||}}

Revision as of 10:26, 19 July 2021

Comprehensive Rules
 
 

The Comprehensive Rules is designed to be the end-all, be-all documentation of Magic: The Gathering rules.

In the Comprehensive Rules, everything from banding to the layering of continuous effects are described and explained. As Wizards of the Coast warns, it is not for the faint of heart. While all the rules for Magic are in the Comprehensive Rules, it's not meant for everyday use; rather, it's reserved for specific cases during competitive games. In most ordinary situations, the basic rulebook is sufficient.

History

The Fourth Edition card set, released in mid-1995, marked the first attempt to formalize Magic rules into a coherent system.[1] Major overhauls were executed for Fifth Edition,[2] Classic Sixth Edition,[3] and Magic 2010.[4][5]

Referencing the rules

When making a reference to a specific rule, the clearest way to do it is as follows [CR <rule>]. As an example, if someone explains mana abilities and ends their explanation with [CR 605.1], then they make a reference to rule 605.1 which states:

From the Comprehensive Rules (April 12, 2024—Outlaws of Thunder Junction)

  • 605.1. Some activated abilities and some triggered abilities are mana abilities, which are subject to special rules. Only abilities that meet either of the following two sets of criteria are mana abilities, regardless of what other effects they may generate or what timing restrictions (such as “Activate only as an instant”) they may have.
    • 605.1a An activated ability is a mana ability if it meets all of the following criteria: it doesn’t require a target (see rule 115.6), it could add mana to a player’s mana pool when it resolves, and it’s not a loyalty ability. (See rule 606, “Loyalty Abilities.”)
    • 605.1b A triggered ability is a mana ability if it meets all of the following criteria: it doesn’t require a target (see rule 115.6), it triggers from the activation or resolution of an activated mana ability (see rule 605.1a) or from mana being added to a player’s mana pool, and it could add mana to a player’s mana pool when it resolves.

The Comprehensive Rules are available from Wizards of the Coast in TXT, PDF, and DOCX formats, and are 252 pages long as of June 2021.

Rules are numbered, and many are divided into subrules. Subrules skip the lower-case letters "l" and "o", to avoid confusion with the numbers "1" and "0". So, for example, 704.5k is followed by 704.5m, then 704.5n, and 704.5p.

Current version

From the Comprehensive Rules (April 12, 2024—Outlaws of Thunder Junction)

The Comprehensive Rules ends with a glossary of terms used in the document and on cards throughout the game.

References

  1. Dan Gray (June 1, 2009). "Simple Rules are the Holy Grail of Magic". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. Tom Wylie (October 1996). "Murk Dwellers". The Duelist, p. 51. Leaner and Meaner.
  3. Bill Rose (January 1999). "Letter to the Magic Player Community"
  4. Aaron Forsythe and Mark L. Gottlieb (June 10, 2009). "Magic 2010 Rules Changes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. Mark Rosewater (August 5, 2013). "Twenty Things That Were Going To Kill Magic". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.