All MTG Evergreen Keyword Abilities, explained

Deathtouch is a Keyword Ability that causes any amount of damage dealt by a source (Player, Planeswalker, creature) to be lethal damage.

Example interaction: A 1/1 creature with Deathtouch that is blocked by a 5/5 creature would result in both creatures being destroyed.

Defender is a Keyword Ability that prevents a creature from being able to attack while still being capable of blocking attacks.

Creatures with Defender typically boast high toughness and commonly have zero power. Defenders are intended to be used as blockers in combat.

Double Strike is a Keyword Ability that allows a creature to deal combat damage twice within the Combat Phase.

A second Combat Damage step is inserted before the original Combat Damage step where only the creatures with First Strike or Double Strike assign their damage. Afterward, creatures with Double Strike assign combat damage in the regular Combat Damage step along with the other creatures that don’t contain either of the Strike Keywords.

First Strike is a Keyword Ability that adds an additional Combat Damage step before the standard one.

Creatures with either the First Strike or Double Strike Keyword Ability deal combat damage within the first Combat Damage step.

Example interaction:

• A 2/2 creature with First Strike attacks a 2/2 creature without First Strike.
• The creature with First Strike will destroy the other creature without taking damage. In a normal combat scenario, both creatures would’ve been destroyed.

Flash is a Keyword Ability that allows a card to be played at Instant speed. This is one way that Non-Active Players can cast creatures during their opponents’ turns.

This ability is commonly found on cards with Enters-the-Battlefield abilities which enable strategic responses to spells on the Stack.

Haste is a Keyword Ability that negates the effect of summoning sickness on a creature.

Normally, creatures are prevented from attacking or tapping during the first turn that they enter the battlefield. With the Haste ability, creatures can immediately attack or become tapped upon entering the battlefield.

This ability is typically found in Red cards and is responsible for the color’s aggressive reputation.

Hexproof is a Keyword Ability that prevents a permanent or player from being targeted by an opponent’s spells or abilities.

It’s important to understand the rules surrounding Hexproof. While a permanent cannot be “targeted” by an ability or spell, it is still susceptible to the effects of cards that don’t require declaring a target for their effects.

Example interaction:

• A creature has the Hexproof ability.
• An opponent casts a spell that says destroy all creatures.
• Since a target doesn’t need to be selected, the creature is destroyed.

Indestructible is a Keyword Ability that prevents permanents from being destroyed due to damage, rules, or effects.

Something to keep in mind: Permanents with Indestructible can still be dealt with by other means. Being sacrificed, bounced (returned to owner’s hand), exiled or brought down to zero or less toughness (commonly done with -1/-1 counter) are all ways the permanents with Indestructible can be removed from the battlefield.

Example interaction:

• A 1/1 creature with Indestructible is dealt 2 damage by a spell.
• The creature is not destroyed since damage cannot destroy it.
• The 1/1 creature is targeted with a spell that adds a -1/-1 counter to it.
• Since the creature’s toughness has been brought down to 0, it is sent to the graveyard.

Lifelink is a Keyword Ability that causes damage dealt by a source to grant its controller (or owner if there isn’t a controller) that much life.

The life gained through Lifelink occurs at the same time as the damage that causes it and doesn’t go to the Stack.

Example interaction:

• Player One has 2 life and controls a 4/3 creature with Lifelink.
• Player Two controls a 6/6 creature with Trample.
• Player Two’s creature attacks Player One, who blocks with their 4/3 creature.
• The 4/3 creature will be killed by the 6/6 creature and the Trample ability will cause the excess damage (3 damage) to be dealt to Player One.
• However, since Player One’s creature had Lifelink and dealt 4 damage, Player One gains 4 life at the same time that it loses 3 life and manages to stay in the game with 3 life left.

Protection [from X] is a Keyword Ability that has a wide variety of types in MTG. Protection can be found or granted to any permanent or player and is written as ‘Protection from X’. (With X being the color, type or subtype written on the card.)

Some examples of Protection:

• Protection from a color (all spells and effects of that color).
• Protection from a card types such as Artifacts, Instants, or Planeswalkers.
• Protection from card subtypes such as Ninjas, Dinosaurs, or Zombies.

The easiest way to remember what Protection entails is the mnemonic acronym: DEBT

Permanents with Protection cannot be:

• Damaged by [X]
• Enchanted, equipped, or fortified by [X]
• Blocked by [X]
• Targeted by [X]

Trample is a Keyword Ability that deals excess damage to the defending player or Planeswalker even if it was blocked.

Normally, excess damage in combat is wasted, and a creature’s toughness drops below 0 into the negative digits. With Trample, all of the damage dealt past 0 (known in other games as overkill damage) is directed toward the player or Planeswalker (whichever the attacking player originally targeted).

Example interaction:

• The attacking player declares an attack with a 5/5 creature with Trample against the defending player.
• The defending player blocks with a 1/1 creature.
• The excess damage calculated after combat, in this case 4, is directed towards the defending player’s health.

Vigilance is a Keyword Ability that allows creatures to attack without having to become tapped.

Normally, creatures must be tapped once declared as attackers. Since creatures remained tapped until the controlling player’s Untap step, that typically means that they won’t be capable of blocking until the next turn. With Vigilance, creatures can attack and remain available to block afterward.

Ward is currently the only evergreen-triggered ability in Magic: The Gathering. Whenever a permanent with Ward is targeted with a spell or ability, it is countered unless the targeting opponent pays the permanent’s printed Ward cost.

Example interaction:

• Player One’s creature has ‘Ward 2’ written on its card.
• Player Two targets Player One’s creature with a Lightning Bolt instant spell.
• In order for the spell to resolve, Player Two has to tap two mana and pay the Ward cost.
• If Player Two can’t afford this cost, the Lightning Bolt is considered countered and moved to the graveyard.