Activated Abilities
Asked by JamesKrell 13 years ago
Basically, what is defined as an activated ability?
benzzer853 says... #2
An activated ability is an ability written on a creature, enchantment or land card that requires you to pay a cost and in return creates an effect. An activated ability is always written as : cost : effect. ( one exception to the creature, enchantment or land rule is meditate wich reads : Skip your next turn : draw 4 cards.)
April 16, 2012 8:35 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #3
It's always a good idea to check the current Oracle text for older cards, as they were originally written under very different rules and text formatting conventions. Meditate does not have any activated abilities. Its text is "Draw four cards. You skip your next turn."
April 16, 2012 9:18 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #4
@benzzer853: Activated abilities are not limited to creatures, enchantments, and lands. A card of any card type may have an activated ability. Planeswalkers, nonpermanent cards with the transmute ability (Muddle the Mixture, Perplex, etc.), and nonpermanent cards with the cycling ability (Decree of Pain, Akroma's Vengeance, etc.) are examples.
April 16, 2012 11 p.m.
KorApprentice says... #5
Cards can even have activated abilities that function while that card is on the stack, see Lightning Storm.
April 17, 2012 3:27 a.m.
KrazyCaley says... #6
Good rule of thumb - If there's a colon, it's probably an activated ability.
Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #1
An activated ability is written as "cost : effect", either directly on the card (Royal Assassin
, Shivan Dragon
, etc.), or in the rules text of the keyword (the Equip ability on every equipment). If it's not written like that, it's not an activated ability.
April 16, 2012 7:39 p.m.