List of Magic the Gathering Abilities

Updated 11/6/2023

Here are brief descriptions of the Magic: The Gathering Abilities:

1. Adapt: Pay the adapt cost to put a specified number of +1/+1 counters on the creature, but only if it has no +1/+1 counters.
2. Afflict: When this creature becomes blocked, the defending player loses a specified amount of life.
3. Afterlife: When the creature dies, create a specified number of 1/1 white and black Spirit creature tokens with flying.
4. Aftermath: This part of a split card can be cast only from your graveyard, then it’s exiled.
5. Amass: Put a specified number of +1/+1 counters on an Army you control; if you don’t control one, create a 0/0 black Zombie Army creature token first.
6. Ascend: If you control ten or more permanents, you get the city’s blessing for the rest of the game.
7. Convoke: Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting it pays for one mana of that creature’s color or one colorless mana.
8. Crew: Tap any number of creatures you control with total power equal to or greater than this vehicle’s crew number to turn it into an artifact creature until the end of the turn.
9. Cycling: Pay the cycling cost and discard this card to draw a card.
10. Deathtouch: Any amount of damage this creature deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.
11. Defender: The creature can’t attack.
12. Double Strike: The creature deals both first strike and regular combat damage.
13. Embalm: Exile this card from your graveyard to create a token copy of it, except it’s a white Zombie in addition to its other types.
14. Enchant: This card must be attached to a specific target, providing various effects to it.
15. Equip: Attach this equipment to a target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.
16. Eternalize: Exile this card from your graveyard to create a token copy of it, except it’s a black Zombie and has base power and toughness 4/4.
17. Exert: When you declare attackers, you may exert this creature. It won’t untap during your next untap step, but it gains an additional effect.
18. Explore: Reveal the top card of your library. Put that card into your hand if it’s a land. Otherwise, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature, then put the card back or into your graveyard.
19. Fabricate: When this creature enters the battlefield, put a specified number of +1/+1 counters on it or create the same number of 1/1 colorless Servo artifact creature tokens.
20. First Strike: Deals combat damage before creatures without first strike.
21. Flash: You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.
22. Flying: Can only be blocked by creatures with flying or reach.
23. Haste: This creature can attack as soon as it comes under your control.
24. Hexproof: Can’t be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.
25. Improvise: Your artifacts can help cast this spell. Each artifact you tap after you’re done activating mana abilities pays for one colorless mana.
26. Indestructible: This permanent can’t be destroyed.
27. Jump-Start: You may cast this card from your graveyard by discarding a card in addition to paying its other costs, then exile this card.
28. Kicker: An additional cost you may pay as you cast this spell. If you do, the spell has an enhanced effect.
29. Lifelink: Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.
30. Menace: This creature can’t be blocked except by two or more creatures.
31. Mentor: When this creature attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on the target attacking creature with lesser power.
32. Proliferate: Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of a kind already there.
33. Prowess: This creature gets +1/+1 until the end of the turn whenever you cast a non-creature spell.
34. Reach: This creature can block creatures with flying.
35. Riot: This creature enters the battlefield with your choice of a +1/+1 counter or haste.
36. Spectacle: An alternate casting cost that can be paid if an opponent loses life this turn.
37. Surveil: Look at the top number of cards in your library, then put any number of them into your graveyard and the rest on top of your library in any order.
38. Trample: This creature can deal excess combat damage to the defending player or planeswalker it’s attacking, beyond what’s needed to destroy blocking creatures.
39. Transform: If a specific condition is met, this card can be turned over to reveal an alternate side with different abilities or characteristics.
40. Vigilance: The creature doesn’t become tapped when it attacks, allowing it to be used for both attacking and blocking.
41. Ward: Provides protection by making it costlier for opponents to target this creature with spells or abilities.