404.3. A triggered ability may read “When/Whenever/At . . . , if [condition], [effect].” The ability checks for the stated condition to be true when the trigger event occurs. If it is, the ability triggers. On resolution, the ability rechecks the condition. If the condition isn’t true at either of those times, the ability does nothing. This rule is referred to as the “intervening ‘if’ clause” rule. Note that the word “if” has only its normal English meaning anywhere else in the text of a card; this rule only applies to an “if” that immediately follows a trigger condition.

404.4. An effect may create a delayed triggered ability that can do something at a later time. A delayed triggered ability will contain “when,” “whenever,” or “at,” although that word won’t usually begin the ability.

404.4a Delayed triggered abilities come from spells or other abilities that create them on resolution. That means a delayed triggered ability won’t trigger until it has actually been created, even if its trigger event occurred just beforehand. Other events that happen earlier may make the trigger event impossible.

Example: Part of an effect reads “When this creature leaves play,” but the creature in question leaves play before the spell or ability creating the effect resolves. In this case, the delayed ability never triggers.

Example: If an effect reads “When this creature becomes untapped” and the named creature becomes untapped before the effect resolves, the ability waits for the next time that creature untaps.

404.4b A delayed triggered ability will trigger only once-the next time its trigger event occurs-unless it has a stated duration, such as “this turn.”

404.4c A delayed triggered ability that refers to a particular object still affects it even if the object changes characteristics.

Example: An ability that reads “Destroy that creature at end of turn” will destroy the permanent even if it’s no longer a creature during the end of turn step.

404.4d A delayed triggered ability that refers to a particular permanent will fail if the permanent leaves play (even if it returns again before the specified time). Similarly, abilities that create a one-shot effect that applies to an object in a particular zone will fail if the object leaves that zone.

Example: An ability that reads “Remove this creature from the game at end of turn” won’t do anything if the creature leaves play before the end of turn step.

404.5. Some objects have a static ability that’s linked to a triggered ability. These objects combine both abilities into one paragraph, with the static ability first, followed by the triggered ability. A very few objects have triggered abilities which are written with the trigger condition in the middle of the ability, rather than at the beginning.

Example: An ability that reads “Reveal the first card you draw each turn. Whenever you reveal a basic land card this way, draw a card” is a static ability linked to a triggered ability.

Example: An ability that reads “The controller of enchanted creature sacrifices it at the end of his or her turn” is a triggered ability.

405.1. A static ability does something all the time rather than being activated or triggered. The ability isn’t played-it just “exists.” Such abilities apply only while the ability is on a permanent in play, unless the ability is covered by rule 402.8.

405.2. Some objects have intrinsic static abilities which state that the object “has” one or more characteristic values; “is” one or more particular types, supertypes, subtypes, or colors; or that one or more of its characteristics “is” or “are” a particular value. These abilities are characteristic-setting abilities. Abilities of an object that affect the characteristics of another object are not characteristic-setting abilities; neither are abilities that an object grants to itself. See rule 201, “Characteristics,” and rule 418.5a.

405.2a A characteristic-setting ability that states that an object is one or more particular types, supertypes, subtypes, or colors applies no matter which zone the object it’s on is in. This rule doesn’t apply to other characteristic-setting abilities.

406.1. A mana ability is either (a) an activated ability that could put mana into a player’s mana pool when it resolves or (b) a triggered ability that triggers from a mana ability and could produce additional mana. A mana ability can generate other effects at the same time it produces mana.

406.2. Spells that put mana into a player’s mana pool aren’t mana abilities. They’re played and resolved exactly like any other spells. Triggered abilities that put mana into a player’s mana pool aren’t mana abilities if they trigger from events other than activating mana abilities. They go on the stack and resolve like any other triggered abilities.

406.3. A mana ability remains a mana ability even if the game state doesn’t allow it to produce mana.

Example: A permanent has an ability that reads “{T}: Add {G} to your mana pool for each creature you control.” This is still a mana ability even if you control no creatures or if the permanent is already tapped.

406.4. A mana ability can be activated or triggered. Mana abilities are played and resolved like other abilities, but they don’t go on the stack, so they can’t be countered or responded to. See rule 411, “Playing Mana Abilities,” and rule 408.2, “Actions That Don’t Use the Stack.”

406.5. Abilities (other than mana abilities) that trigger on playing mana abilities do use the stack.

406.6. If a mana ability would produce one or more mana of an undefined type, it produces no mana instead.

Example: If you control no lands, an ability that reads “{T}: Add to your mana pool one mana of any type that a land you control could produce” will not produce any mana.

407.1. Effects can add or remove abilities of objects. An effect that adds an ability will state that the object “gains” or “has” that ability. An effect that removes an ability will state that the object “loses” that ability. If two or more effects add and remove the same ability, in general the most recent one prevails. (See rule 418.5, “Interaction of Continuous Effects.”)

407.2. An effect that sets an object’s characteristic, or simply states a quality of that object, is different from an ability granted by an effect. When an object “gains” or “has” an ability, that ability can be removed by another effect. If an effect defines a characteristic of the object (“[permanent] is [characteristic value]”), it’s not granting an ability. (See rule 405.2.)

Example: An effect reads, “Enchanted creature has ‘This creature is an artifact creature.’” This effect grants an ability to the creature that can be removed by other effects. Another effect reads, “Enchanted creature is an artifact creature.” This effect simply defines a characteristic of the creature. It doesn’t grant an ability, so effects that would cause the creature to lose its abilities wouldn’t cause the enchanted creature to stop being an artifact.