Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules

Table of Contents

607. Linked Abilities

  • 607.1. An object may have two abilities printed on it such that one of them causes actions to be taken or objects or players to be affected and the other one directly refers to those actions, objects, or players. If so, these two abilities are linked: the second refers only to actions that were taken or objects or players that were affected by the first, and not by any other ability.
  • 607.1a An ability printed on an object within another ability that grants that ability to that object is considered to be printed on that object for these purposes.
  • 607.1b An ability printed on either face of a transforming double-faced card (see rule 711) is considered to be printed on that object for these purposes, regardless of which face is up.
  • 607.1c An ability printed on an object that fulfills both criteria described in rule 607.1 is linked to itself.
  • 607.1d Abilities printed on two objects can be linked if one object is a token or emblem and the second object was the source of the ability that created the token or emblem. In these cases, the abilities fit the criteria listed for one of the different kinds of linked abilities in rule 607.2 except they are printed on two objects rather than one.
  • 607.2. There are different kinds of linked abilities.
  • 607.2a If an object has an activated or triggered ability printed on it that instructs a player to exile one or more cards and an ability printed on it that refers either to the exiled cards or to cards exiled with [this object], these abilities are linked. The second ability refers only to cards in the exile zone that were put there as a result of an instruction to exile them in the first ability.
  • 607.2b If an object has an ability printed on it that generates a replacement effect which causes one or more cards to be exiled and an ability printed on it that refers either to the exiled cards or to cards exiled with [this object], these abilities are linked. The second ability refers only to cards in the exile zone that were put there as a direct result of a replacement event caused by the first ability. See rule 614, Replacement Effects.
  • 607.2c If an object has an activated or triggered ability printed on it that puts one or more objects onto the battlefield and an ability printed on it that refers to objects put onto the battlefield with [this object] or created with [this object], those abilities are linked. The second can refer only to objects put onto the battlefield as a result of the first.
  • 607.2d If an object has an ability printed on it that causes a player to choose a [value] and an ability printed on it that refers to the chosen [value], the last chosen [value], or similar, those abilities are linked. The second ability refers only to a choice made as a result of the first ability.
  • 607.2e If an object has an ability printed on it that causes a player to choose from between two or more words that otherwise have no rules meaning and an ability printed on it that refers to a choice involving one or more of those words, those abilities are linked. The second can refer only to a choice made as a result of the first ability.
  • 607.2f If an object has an ability printed on it that causes a player to pay a cost as it enters the battlefield and an ability printed on it that refers to the cost paid as [this object] entered the battlefield, these abilities are linked. The second ability refers only to a cost paid as a result of the first ability.
  • 607.2g If an object has both a static ability and one or more triggered abilities printed on it in the same paragraph, each of those triggered abilities is linked to the static ability. Each triggered ability refers only to actions taken as a result of the static ability. See rule 603.11.
  • 607.2h If an object has a kicker ability printed on it and an ability printed on it that refers to whether that object was kicked, those abilities are linked. The second refers only to whether the intent to pay the kicker cost listed in the first was declared as the object was cast as a spell. If a kicker ability lists multiple costs, it will have multiple abilities linked to it. Each of those abilities will specify which kicker cost it refers to. See rule 702.33, Kicker.
  • 607.2i If an object has an ability printed on it that causes a player to pay a variable additional cost as its cast and an ability printed on it that refers to the cost paid as [this object] was cast, these abilities are linked. The second refers only to the value chosen for the cost listed in the first as the object was cast as a spell. See rule 601.2b.
  • 607.2j The two abilities represented by the champion keyword are linked abilities. See rule 702.72, Champion.
  • 607.2k Abilities preceded by an anchor word are linked to the ability that allows a player to choose that anchor word. See rule 614.12b.
  • 607.2m If an object has a static ability printed on it that allows a player to exile one or more cards before you shuffle your deck to start the game and an ability printed on it that refers to cards exiled with cards named [this objects name], the second ability is linked to the first ability of any objects that had the specified name before the game began.
  • 607.2n If an object has both a static ability that causes a player to make a choice for a characteristic-defining ability before the game begins and that characteristic-defining ability printed on it in the same paragraph, those abilities are linked. The second ability refers only to the choice made as a result of the first ability and continues to refer to that choice as the object changes zones during the game.
  • 607.3. If, within a pair of linked abilities, one ability refers to a single object as the exiled card, a card exiled with [this card], or a similar phrase, and the other ability has exiled multiple cards (usually because it was copied), the ability refers to each of the exiled cards. If that ability asks for any information about the exiled card, such as a characteristic or mana value, it gets multiple answers. If these answers are used to determine the value of a variable, the sum of the answers is used. If that ability performs any actions on the card, it performs that action on each exiled card. If that ability performs any actions on a card, the controller of the ability chooses which card is affected.
  • 607.4. An ability may be part of more than one pair of linked abilities.
  • 607.5. If an object acquires a pair of linked abilities as part of the same effect, the abilities will be similarly linked to one another on that object even though they werent printed on that object. They cant be linked to any other ability, regardless of what other abilities the object may currently have or may have had in the past.
  • 607.5a If an object gains an ability that refers to a choice, but either (a) doesnt copy that abilitys linked ability or (b) does copy the linked ability but no choice is made for it, then the choice is considered to be undefined. If an ability refers to an undefined choice, that part of the ability wont do anything.