Rule evolution
Rule 201.5a
Previously numbered 201.2b, 201.4a.
Earliest archived Rules release: 2009-10-01 · 9 wording revisions · 2 renumberings
Earliest archived Rules release201.2bDetails
If an ability of an object grants to an object an ability that refers to the first object by name, the name refers only to the object whose ability grants that ability, not to any other object with the same name. Example: Saproling Burst has an ability that reads "Remove a fade counter from Saproling Burst: Put a green Saproling creature token onto the battlefield. It has 'This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of fade counters on Saproling Burst.'" The ability granted to the token only looks at the Saproling Burst that created the token, not at any other Saproling Burst on the battlefield.
Wording changed & Renumbered
201.2b→ 201.4aDetailsPreviously
2. Parts of a Card
201. NameThen
2. Parts of a Card
201. NameIf an ability
ofgrantsananotherobjectabilitygrantsto an object,anandabilitythat second ability refers tothethat firstobjectability's source by name, the name refers only to the specific objectwhosethatabilityisgrantsthat first ability's source, not to any other object with the same name. Example: Saproling Burst has an ability that reads "Remove a fade counter from Saproling Burst: Put a green Saproling creature token onto the battlefield. It has 'This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of fade counters on Saproling Burst.'" The ability granted to the token only looks at the Saproling Burst that created the token, not at any other Saproling Burst on the battlefield.Wording changed201.4aDetails
If an ability's effect grants another ability to an object, and that second ability refers to that first ability's source by name, the name refers only to the specific object that is that first ability's source, not to any other object with the same name. Example: Saproling Burst has an ability that reads "Remove a fade counter from Saproling Burst: Put a green Saproling creature token onto the battlefield. It has
'`This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of fade counters on Saproling Burst.'" The ability granted to the token only looks at the Saproling Burst that created the token, not at any other Saproling Burst on the battlefield.Wording changed201.4aDetails
If an ability's effect grants another ability to an object, and that second ability refers to that first ability's source by name, the name refers only to the specific object that is that first ability's source, not to any other object with the same name. Example: Saproling Burst has an ability that reads "Remove a fade counter from Saproling Burst: Put a green Saproling creature token onto the battlefield. It has
`'This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of fade counters on Saproling Burst.'" The ability granted to the token only looks at the Saproling Burst that created the token, not at any other Saproling Burst on the battlefield.Wording changed201.4aDetails
If an ability's effect grants another ability to an object, and that second ability refers to that first ability's source by name, the name refers only to the specific object that is that first ability's source, not to any other object with the same name. Example: Saproling Burst has an ability that reads "Remove a fade counter from Saproling Burst: Put a green Saproling creature token onto the battlefield. It has
'`This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of fade counters on Saproling Burst.'" The ability granted to the token only looks at the Saproling Burst that created the token, not at any other Saproling Burst on the battlefield.Wording changed201.4aDetails
If an ability's effect grants another ability to an object, and that second ability refers to that first ability's source by name, the name refers only to the specific object that is that first ability's source, not to any other object with the same name.
Example: Saproling Burst has an ability that reads "Remove a fade counter from Saproling Burst: Put a green Saproling creature token onto the battlefield.Example: Gutter Grime has an ability that reads "Whenever a nontoken creature you control dies, put a slime counter on Gutter Grime, then put a green Ooze creature token onto the battlefield with 'This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of slime counters on Gutter Grime.'"It has `This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of fade counters on Saproling Burst.'"The ability granted to the token only looks at theSaprolingGutterBurstGrime that created the token, not at any otherSaprolingGutterBurstGrime on the battlefield.Wording changed201.4aDetails
If an ability's effect grants another ability to an object, and that second ability refers to that first ability's source by name, the name refers only to the specific object that is that first ability's source, not to any other object with the same name. This is also true if the second ability is copied onto a new object. Example: Gutter Grime has an ability that reads "Whenever a nontoken creature you control dies, put a slime counter on Gutter Grime, then put a green Ooze creature token onto the battlefield with 'This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of slime counters on Gutter Grime.'" The ability granted to the token only looks at the Gutter Grime that created the token, not at any other Gutter Grime on the battlefield. A copy of that token would also have an ability that referred only to the Gutter Grime that created the original token.
Wording changed201.4aDetails
If an ability's effect grants another ability to an object, and that second ability refers to that first ability's source by name, the name refers only to the specific object that is that first ability's source, not to any other object with the same name. This is also true if the second ability is copied onto a new object. Example: Gutter Grime has an ability that reads "Whenever a nontoken creature you control dies, put a slime counter on Gutter Grime, then
putcreate a green Ooze creature tokenonto the battlefieldwith 'This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of slime counters on Gutter Grime.'" The ability granted to the token only looks at the Gutter Grime that created the token, not at any other Gutter Grime on the battlefield. A copy of that token would also have an ability that referred only to the Gutter Grime that created the original token.Wording changed201.4aDetails
If an ability's effect grants another ability to an object, and that second ability refers to that first ability's source by name, the name refers only to the specific object
thatwhich is that first ability's source, not to any other object with the same name.This is also true if the second ability is copied onto a new object.The second ability does not refer to any other object with the same name as the first ability's source.Example: Gutter Grime has an ability that reads "Whenever a nontoken creature you control dies, put a slime counter on Gutter Grime, then create a green Ooze creature token with 'This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of slime counters on Gutter Grime.'"However, if the second ability also moved the first ability's source to a different public zone, the name refers to the object the source became in its new zone.The ability granted to the token only looks at the Gutter Grime that created the token, not at any other Gutter Grime on the battlefield.This is also true if the second ability is copied onto a new object.A copy of that token would also have an ability that referred only to the Gutter Grime that created the original token.Example: Gutter Grime has an ability that reads "Whenever a nontoken creature you control dies, put a slime counter on Gutter Grime, then create a green Ooze creature token with 'This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of slime counters on Gutter Grime.'" The ability granted to the token only looks at the Gutter Grime that created the token, not at any other Gutter Grime on the battlefield. A copy of that token would also have an ability that referred only to the Gutter Grime that created the original token.Renumbered
201.4a→ 201.5aDetailsPreviously
2. Parts of a Card
201. NameThen
2. Parts of a Card
201. NameIf an ability’s effect grants another ability to an object, and that second ability refers to that first ability’s source by name, the name refers only to the specific object which is that first ability’s source. The second ability does not refer to any other object with the same name as the first ability’s source. However, if the second ability also moved the first ability’s source to a different public zone, the name refers to the object the source became in its new zone. This is also true if the second ability is copied onto a new object. Example: Gutter Grime has an ability that reads “Whenever a nontoken creature you control dies, put a slime counter on Gutter Grime, then create a green Ooze creature token with ‘This creature’s power and toughness are each equal to the number of slime counters on Gutter Grime.’” The ability granted to the token only looks at the Gutter Grime that created the token, not at any other Gutter Grime on the battlefield. A copy of that token would also have an ability that referred only to the Gutter Grime that created the original token.
Wording changed201.5aDetails
If an ability's effect grants another ability to an object, and that second ability refers to that first ability's source by name, the name refers only to the specific object which is that first ability's source. The second ability does not refer to any other object with the same name as the first ability's source. However, if the second ability also moved the first ability's source to a different public zone, the name refers to the object the source became in its new zone. This is also true if the second ability is copied onto a new object. Example: Gutter Grime has an ability that reads "Whenever a nontoken creature you control dies, put a slime counter on
GutterthisGrimeenchantment, then create a green Ooze creature token with 'Thiscreaturetoken's power and toughness are each equal to the number of slime counters on Gutter Grime.'" The ability granted to the token only looks at the Gutter Grime that created the token, not at any other Gutter Grime on the battlefield. A copy of that token would also have an ability that referred only to the Gutter Grime that created the original token.