Abilities in Magic: activated, triggered and keywords

Almost every card in Magic: The Gathering does what it does thanks to its abilities. There are four broad types, and knowing them apart tells you who decides when they happen and how to respond. Let’s go through them.

1. Activated abilities

What they are: the ones you choose to use. They’re written in the “cost: effect” pattern (a colon in the text almost always gives away an activated ability).

When: at any time you have priority (instant speed), unless the card says otherwise. You pay the cost and the effect goes on the stack. The cost is usually tapping the card ({T}), paying mana, or both.

Planeswalker abilities are activated, but special: only one per turn and only on your turn.

2. Triggered abilities

What they are: they go off on their own when something happens. They start with “When”, “Whenever” or “At…”. You don’t choose them: they trigger automatically and go on the stack.

When: the moment their condition is met. Since they go on the stack, your opponent can respond with an instant before they resolve.

3. Static abilities

What they are: they’re simply true while the card is in play. They don’t use the stack, don’t trigger, don’t get activated: they’re always on.

Other examples: “spells you cast cost 1 less mana” or “opponents can’t draw more than one card each turn”.

4. Keyword abilities

What they are: abilities so common they’re boiled down to one word, to avoid repeating the long text every time. These are the ones you’ll run into most:

• Flying: can only be blocked by creatures with flying or reach.
• Reach: can block creatures with flying (think archers or spiders).
• Haste: can attack and use {T} the same turn it enters (ignores summoning sickness).
• Vigilance: doesn’t tap when attacking, so it can still block.
• Deathtouch: any amount of damage it deals (even 1) destroys the damaged creature.
• Lifelink: the damage this creature deals also gains you that much life.
• First strike: deals damage before normal creatures; if it kills the opponent, they don’t hit back.
• Double strike: deals both first-strike and normal damage (hits twice).
• Trample: if it kills the blocker, the leftover damage carries to the player.
• Menace: needs two or more creatures to block it.
• Hexproof: can’t be targeted by your opponents’ spells or abilities.
• Indestructible: isn’t destroyed by damage or “destroy” effects.
• Defender: can’t attack (typical of walls).

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A trick to remember it: if you see a colon, it’s activated (you decide). If it starts with “When/Whenever”, it’s triggered (goes off by itself). If it’s a permanent statement, it’s static. And if it’s a single word, it’s a keyword with its own rules.

That last one is the case you’ll hit most often at the table. Every keyword in the game, one by one, is in the Magic keywords glossary.

Brush up on rules and card types in the card types guide.