Keyword action

A keyword action is a word or words, usually a verb, that substitutes for a piece of rules text.^[1] Many keywords are summarized in reminder text, especially in core sets.

Keyword actions are somewhat different from keyword abilities, and both are distinct from ability words. Collectively, they are described as mechanics.

Monstrosity is notable because it is the only keyword action that is not a verb.

Rules[]

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (September 24, 2021—Innistrad: Midnight Hunt)

Keyword Action: A verb, such as “destroy” or “cast,” used as a game term rather than as its normal English meaning. See rule 701, “Keyword Actions.”

From the Comprehensive Rules (September 24, 2021—Innistrad: Midnight Hunt)

701. Keyword Actions
- 701.1. Most actions described in a card’s rules text use the standard English definitions of the verbs within, but some specialized verbs are used whose meanings may not be clear. These “keywords” are game terms; sometimes reminder text summarizes their meanings.
- 701.2. Activate
- 701.3. Attach
- 701.4. Cast
- 701.5. Counter
- 701.6. Create
- 701.7. Destroy
- 701.8. Discard
- 701.9. Double
- 701.10. Exchange
- 701.11. Exile
- 701.12. Fight
- 701.13. Mill
- 701.14. Play
- 701.15. Regenerate
- 701.16. Reveal
- 701.17. Sacrifice
- 701.18. Scry
- 701.19. Search
- 701.20. Shuffle
- 701.21. Tap and Untap
- 701.22. Fateseal
- 701.23. Clash
- 701.24. Planeswalk
- 701.25. Set in Motion
- 701.26. Abandon
- 701.27. Proliferate
- 701.28. Transform
- 701.29. Detain
- 701.30. Populate
- 701.31. Monstrosity
- 701.32. Vote
- 701.33. Bolster
- 701.34. Manifest
- 701.35. Support
- 701.36. Investigate
- 701.37. Meld
- 701.38. Goad
- 701.39. Exert
- 701.40. Explore
- 701.41. Assemble
- 701.42. Surveil
- 701.43. Adapt
- 701.44. Amass
- 701.45. Learn
- 701.46. Venture into the Dungeon

References[]

↑ Aaron Forsythe (May 18, 2007). "Scry and Keyword Actions". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.

Mechanics

Keyword Abilities

Evergreen	Deathtouch Defender Double Strike Enchant Equip Equip [quality] First Strike Flash Flying Haste Hexproof Hexproof from [quality] Indestructible Lifelink Menace Protection Reach Trample Trample over Planeswalkers Vigilance Ward

Other	Absorb Affinity Afflict Afterlife Aftermath Amplify Annihilator Ascend Assist Aura Swap Awaken Banding Bands with other [quality] Battle Cry Bestow Bloodthirst Boast Bushido Buyback Cascade Champion Changeling Cipher Companion Conspire Convoke Crew Cumulative Upkeep Cycling [Type]cycling Dash Daybound Nightbound Delve Demonstrate Dethrone Devoid Devour Devour [type] Disturb Dredge Echo Embalm Emerge Encore Entwine Epic Escalate Escape Eternalize Evoke Evolve Exalted Exploit Extort Fabricate Fading Fear Flanking Flashback Forecast Foretell Fortify Frenzy Friends forever Fuse Graft Gravestorm Haunt Hidden Agenda Double Agenda Hideaway Horsemanship Improvise Infect Ingest Intimidate Jump-Start Kicker Multikicker Landwalk Level Up Living Weapon Madness Melee Mentor Miracle Modular Morph Megamorph Mutate Myriad Ninjutsu Commander Ninjutsu Offering Outlast Overload Partner Partner with [name] Persist Phasing Poisonous Provoke Prowess Prowl Rampage Rebound Recover Reinforce Renown Replicate Retrace Riot Ripple Scavenge Shadow Shroud Skulk Soulbond Soulshift Spectacle Splice Split Second Storm Sunburst Surge Suspend Totem Armor Transfigure Transmute Tribute Undaunted Undying Unearth Unleash Vanishing Wither

Keyword Actions

Evergreen	Activate Attach Cast Counter Create Double Destroy Discard Exchange Exile Fight Mill Play Reveal Sacrifice Scry Search Shuffle Tap Untap

Other	Abandon Adapt Amass Assemble Bolster Clash Detain Exert Explore Fateseal Goad Investigate Learn Manifest Meld Monstrosity Planeswalk Populate Proliferate Regenerate Set in Motion Support Surveil Transform Venture into the Dungeon Vote

Ability Words

Other

Digital only	Backbone Conjure Perpetually Seek Unstoppable

Miscellaneous	Ante Divvy Rhystic

Silver-bordered	Art Menace Art Rampage Augment Ban Blurry Combine Crank‎ Denimwalk Family Gathering Gotcha Hide Install Just a Second Knightlifelink Last Strike Reassemble Super Haste Switch Triple Strike Typelink Undeathtouch Uninstall

Playtest	Aggressive Bank Challenge Curse Firstest Strike Four-faced Interplanar Kinfall Landship Legacy Megalegendary Motivate Ransom Reflect Requirement Reverse Miracle Scrycast Spark Spellmorph Tasty Token Card Underdog Upgrade

Unreleased	Double-Tap Forbidden Glorify‎ Hieroglyphics‎ Link Mummify‎ Reckless Unique‎

Former	Bury Landhome Substance

See also	List of obsolete terminology List of deprecated mechanics List of silver-bordered mechanics List of unreleased mechanics Storm Scale

Comprehensive Rules

100. Game Concepts

The Magic Golden Rules Players Starting the Game Ending the Game Colors Mana Numbers and Symbols Cards Objects Permanents Tokens Spells Abilities Emblems Targets Special Actions Timing and Priority Costs Life Damage Drawing a Card Counters

200. Parts of a Card

Name Mana Cost and Color Illustration Color Indicator Type Line Expansion Symbol Text Box Power/Toughness Loyalty Hand Modifier Life Modifier Information Below the Text Box

300. Card Types

Artifacts Creatures Enchantments Instants Lands Planeswalkers Sorceries Tribals Planes Phenomena Vanguards Schemes Conspiracies

400. Zones

Library Hand Battlefield Graveyard Stack Exile Ante Command

500. Turn Structure

Beginning Phase Untap Step Upkeep Step Draw Step Main Phase Combat Phase Beginning of Combat Step Declare Attackers Step Declare Blockers Step Combat Damage Step End of Combat Step Ending Phase End Step Cleanup Step

600. Spells, Abilities, and Effects

Casting Spells Activating Activated Abilities Handling Triggered Abilities Handling Static Abilities Mana Abilities Loyalty Abilities Linked Abilities Resolving Spells and Abilities Effects One-Shot Effects Continuous Effects Text-Changing Effects Interaction of Continuous Effects Replacement Effects Prevention Effects Interaction of Replacement and/or Prevention Effects

700. Additional Rules

800. Multiplayer Rules

Limited Range of Influence Option Attack Multiple Players Option Attack Left and Attack Right Options Deploy Creatures Option Shared Team Turns Option Free-for-All Variant Grand Melee Variant Team vs. Team Variant Emperor Variant Two-Headed Giant Variant Alternating Teams Variant

900. Casual Variants

Planechase Vanguard Commander Archenemy Conspiracy Draft

Keyword action

Rules[]

See also[]

References[]

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