Magic: The Gathering Keywords

For a newcomer, it can be difficult to get to grips with all of Magic The Gathering keywords. Even the more beginner-friendly sets are full of them, and knowing how MTG keywords work can open up a whole realm of new tactical opportunities.

In Magic: The Gathering (MTG), keywords are effectively shorthand for a longer ruling for the sake of the limited printing space on a card's text box. For example, if a card has "Trample" written on it, you know that it always means "this creature can deal excess combat damage to a player or planeswalker it is attacking".

No matter which card you find it on, in MTG all keywords will do the same thing no matter where you see them. Every creature with flying, for example, does the exact same thing and doesn't need further text to explain it. This makes them different from ability words like Addendum or Pack Tactics, which require more explanation written on the card.

Not every keyword is as commonly used as others. Those that Wizards of the Coast are free to use in every set are known as the MTG evergreen keywords: these make up the game's main mechanical design and are the 'bare minimum' a newcomer to MTG needs to learn first.

Most Core Sets, such as Core Set 2021, will focus on the evergreen keywords. As these sets are designed for beginners, they'll also include itallicised reminder text explaining what the keywords do. You will also see this on non-evergreen mechanics in other sets, such as a card with Fear explaining it can only be blocked by black creatures or artifact creatures

Not every keyword in MTG counts as an ability, as keywords are split into keyword abilities and keyword actions.

All keyword abilities are, as you'd guess, abilities. In the case of the evergreen keywords, like trample and deathtouch, these are static and aren't triggered or activated. However, others, like Echo or Cycling, are activated, while others like Storm, are triggered abilities.

Keyword actions are still keywords, but they're instructions on game actions you must carry out rather than an ability. For example, "cast" is a keyword because it means "to take it from the zone it's in, put it on the stack, and pay its costs, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect". It's a basic part of the game, but writing it out every time would be arduous, so "cast" is used as shorthand.

It's difficult to identify exactly the MTG card with most keywords, but there are a few very solid competitors for it.

Technically, the creature with the most keywords is Chromanticore, which has six: flying, first strike, vigilance, trample, lifelink, and Bestow. However, if you include cards that mention other keywords on them without necessarily having them themselves, there are much bigger alternatives.

Akroma, Vision of Ixidor has five keywords itself – flying, first-strike, vigilance, trample, and partner – but also mentions double strike, deathtouch, haste, hexproof, indestructible, lifelink, menace, protection, and reach in its ability. Meanwhile, Odric, Lunarch Marshal mentions first strike, flying, deathtouch, double strike, haste, hexproof, indestructible, lifelink, menace, reach, skulk, trample, and vigilance.

In total, there are currently 194 keywords in Magic The Gathering, split across keyword actions and keyword abilities.

The evergreen keywords are:

• Deathtouch – Any damage dealt to a creature by a creature with deathtouch is lethal.
• Defender – Can't attack.
• Double Strike – In combat, an attacking Double Strike creature will hit twice – the first of the two will also be first strike damage.
• Enchant – To place an enchantment targeting a specific area of the game, such as putting an Aura on a creature.
• Equip – An activated ability to attach an equipment to a creature.
• First Strike – Creatures with First Strike will deal their damage in combat before receiving it from the other creatures. This applies whether you're the attacking or defending player.
• Flash – Can be cast at Instant speed.
• Flying – Can only be blocked by other creatures with the ability, or creatures with Reach.
• Haste – Can attack and tap for activated abilities as soon as it enters the battlefield.
• Hexproof – Cannot be the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls.
• Indestructible – Cannot be destroyed or killed in combat.
• Lifelink – Whenever this creature deals damage, you gain life equal to the amount of damage dealt.
• Protection – Cannot be damaged by, enchanted, equipped, or fortified by, blocked by, or targeted by any spell of creature with the characteristic the creature has protection from.
• Reach – Can block creatures with flying.
• Trample – Excess combat damage dealt to a creature will be dealt to its controller.
• Vigilance – Attacking doesn't cause this creature to tap.
• Ward – It can be the target of spells or abilities, however the spell or ability's controller will have to pay the listed Ward cost.
• Menace – Can only be blocked by two or more creatures.
• Activate – To pay a cost listed on a card to cause an ability to happen.
• Attach – To put an equipment onto a creature.
• Cast – To pay an associated cost and put a card onto the stack, waiting to be resolved.
• Counter – To negate the casting of a spell and move it from the stack to another game zone, such as the graveyard or back to the caster's hand.
• Create – To place a game piece on the battlefield without it having been cast. For example, creating a creature token.
• Destroy – To move a game piece from the battlefield to the graveyard.
• Discard – To move a card from your hand to the graveyard.
• Exchange – To swap two things, such as control of creatures or life totals.
• Exile – To move a card from any game zone into the exile zone.
• Fight – Creatures who are fighting will deal damage equal to their power to each other.
• Mill – To place a card from the top of your library directly into your graveyard.
• Play – To either place a land onto the battlefield as a special action, or cast a spell.
• Reveal – To show your opponents previously confidential game information, such as your hand or the top card of your library.
• Sacrifice – To move a permanent from the battlefield to the graveyard without it having been destroyed.
• Scry – To look at the specified number of cards from the top of your library and either place them back on top or at the bottom of your library.
• Search – To look through the specified zone of the game (usually library, but sometimes hand, graveyard, or exile) for a specific card or type of card.
• Shuffle – To randomise the order of cards in the specified game zone, usually the library.
• Tap and Untap – To move a card 90 degrees. A vertical card is untapped, and a horizontal one is tapped.

Here is a list of every other keyword in the game. While this looks like a lot, many of them are older ones that aren't used anymore (like banding), or were only intended to be used on a couple of cards (like Gravestorm). In fact, some are so unlikely to come back that Magic The Gathering’s lead designer Mark Rosewater has a scale he uses to rate the possibility of them making a return, known as the Storm Scale.

• Intimidate
• Landwalk
• Shroud
• Banding
• Rampage
• Cumulative Upkeep
• Flanking
• Phasing
• Buyback
• Shadow
• Cycling
• Echo
• Horsemanship
• Fading
• Kicker
• Flashback
• Madness
• Fear
• Morph
• Amplify
• Provoke
• Storm
• Affinity
• Entwine
• Modular
• Sunburst
• Bushido
• Soulshift
• Splice
• Offering
• Ninjutsu
• Epic
• Convoke
• Dredge
• Transmute
• Bloodthirst
• Haunt
• Replicate
• Forecast
• Graft
• Recover
• Ripple
• Split Second
• Vanishing
• Absorb
• Aura Swap
• Delve
• Fortify
• Frenzy
• Gravestorm
• Poisonous
• Transfigure
• Champion
• Changeling
• Evoke
• Hideaway
• Prowl
• Reinforce
• Conspire
• Persist
• Wither
• Retrace
• Devour
• Exalted
• Unearth
• Cascade
• Annihilator
• Level Up
• Rebound
• Totem Armor
• Infect
• Battle Cry
• Living Weapon
• Undying
• Miracle
• Soulbond
• Overload
• Scavenge
• Unleash
• Cipher
• Evolve
• Extort
• Fuse
• Bestow
• Tribute
• Dethrone
• Hidden Agenda
• Outlast
• Prowess
• Dash
• Exploit
• Renown
• Awaken
• Devoid
• Ingest
• Myriad
• Surge
• Skulk
• Emerge
• Escalate
• Melee
• Crew
• Fabricate
• Partner
• Undaunted
• Improvise
• Aftermath
• Embalm
• Eternalize
• Afflict
• Ascend
• Assist
• Jump-Start
• Mentor
• Afterlife
• Riot
• Spectacle
• Escape
• Companion
• Mutate
• Encore
• Boast
• Foretell
• Demonstrate
• Daybound and Nightbound
• Disturb
• Decayed
• Cleave
• Training
• Completed
• Reconfigure
• Double
• Regenerate
• Fateseal
• Clash
• Planeswalk
• Set in Motion
• Abandon
• Proliferate
• Transform
• Detain
• Populate
• Monstrosity
• Vote
• Bolster
• Manifest
• Support
• Investigate
• Meld
• Goad
• Exert
• Explore
• Assemble
• Surveil
• Adapt
• Amass
• Learn
• Venture into the Dungeon