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'''Errata''' are official changes to [[rules text]]s on [[card]]s, often to clarify card [[effects]] or to preserve the effects of cards as the [[rules]] of the [[game]] change. The official texts of all ''[[Magic]]'' [[card]]s are stored in a document maintained by [[Wizards of the Coast]] called the [[Oracle]]. The only official way to get the Oracle wordings is from [http://gatherer.wizards.com/ Gatherer]. In the early days of ''[[Magic]]'' it wasn't unusual for cards to get huge gameplay-changing errata.<ref>{{NewRef|latest-developments/developmental-mistakes-2014-06-13-0|Developmental Mistakes|[[Sam Stoddard]]|June 13, 2014}}</ref> Nowadays, '''functional errata''' (errata that changed functionally what the card did from its original printing) are mostly avoided. Sometimes overall rules are changed, and that may impact how particular cards work. The functionality of individual cards is not tampered with anymore.<ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/105843974703/doesnt-keywording-abilities-potentially-cause|title=Doesn't keywording abilities potentially cause some functional changes?|date=December 22, 2014}}</ref>  
'''Errata''' are official changes to [[rules text]]s on [[card]]s, often to clarify card [[effects]] or to preserve the effects of cards as the [[rules]] of the [[game]] change. The official texts of all ''[[Magic]]'' [[card]]s are stored in a document maintained by [[Wizards of the Coast]] called the [[Oracle]]. The only official way to get the Oracle wordings is from [http://gatherer.wizards.com/ Gatherer]. In the early days of ''[[Magic]]'' it wasn't unusual for cards to get huge gameplay-changing errata.<ref>{{NewRef|latest-developments/developmental-mistakes-2014-06-13-0|Developmental Mistakes|[[Sam Stoddard]]|June 13, 2014}}</ref> Nowadays, '''functional errata''' (errata that changed functionally what the card did from its original printing) are mostly avoided. Sometimes overall rules are changed, and that may impact how particular cards work. The functionality of individual cards is usualley not tampered with anymore.<ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/105843974703/doesnt-keywording-abilities-potentially-cause|title=Doesn't keywording abilities potentially cause some functional changes?|date=December 22, 2014}}</ref>  


==Continuous artifacts==
==Examples==
===Continuous artifacts===
[[Continuous]] artifacts used to have a special rule that said they turned off when [[tap]]ped.<ref>{{NewRef|making-magic/my-day…-2014-05-12|In My Day…|[[Mark Rosewater]]|May 12, 2014}}</ref> This caused us all sorts of problems, because designers and players kept forgetting that this rule existed and broken decks kept exploiting it. A classic example of this problem in action was the card <c>Sands of Time</c>, from ''[[Visions]]''. The first premier event to use ''Visions'' cards was the first [[Magic Invitational]], held in Hong Kong. Sands of Time tapped things untapped and untapped things tapped. It was designed as a weird card that you had to work around. Unfortunately, the "shut it off" rule allowed players to abuse the card by only having it work on the opponent's turn. After some abuse, R&D was forced to issue errata. When R&D was working on the [[6th Edition/Rules changes|''Sixth Edition'' rule change]], it was brought up that the "tapped artifacts shut off" rule was confusing, non-intuitive, and constantly causing problems. In the new rules all artifacts worked the way they were worded regardless of tapped status. The solution at the time was that the handful of cards that R&D wanted to turn off when tapped received extra rules text.<ref>{{NewRef|feature/and-2002-04-10|Off and On|[[Ben Bleiweiss]]|April 10, 2002}}</ref> Both <c>Howling Mine</c> and <c>Winter Orb</c> got errata to read "if this is untapped," allowing the same tricks to work on them without having to have the general rule.
[[Continuous]] artifacts used to have a special rule that said they turned off when [[tap]]ped.<ref>{{NewRef|making-magic/my-day…-2014-05-12|In My Day…|[[Mark Rosewater]]|May 12, 2014}}</ref> This caused us all sorts of problems, because designers and players kept forgetting that this rule existed and broken decks kept exploiting it. A classic example of this problem in action was the card <c>Sands of Time</c>, from ''[[Visions]]''. The first premier event to use ''Visions'' cards was the first [[Magic Invitational]], held in Hong Kong. Sands of Time tapped things untapped and untapped things tapped. It was designed as a weird card that you had to work around. Unfortunately, the "shut it off" rule allowed players to abuse the card by only having it work on the opponent's turn. After some abuse, R&D was forced to issue errata. When R&D was working on the [[6th Edition/Rules changes|''Sixth Edition'' rule change]], it was brought up that the "tapped artifacts shut off" rule was confusing, non-intuitive, and constantly causing problems. In the new rules all artifacts worked the way they were worded regardless of tapped status. The solution at the time was that the handful of cards that R&D wanted to turn off when tapped received extra rules text.<ref>{{NewRef|feature/and-2002-04-10|Off and On|[[Ben Bleiweiss]]|April 10, 2002}}</ref> Both <c>Howling Mine</c> and <c>Winter Orb</c> got errata to read "if this is untapped," allowing the same tricks to work on them without having to have the general rule.


Years later, R&D made the choice to undo functional errata and some of the cards, like <c>Winter Orb</c>, went back to their original wording, no longer shutting off when tapped,<ref>{{NewRef|feature/may-2011-update-bulletin-2011-05-04|May 2011 Update Bulletin|[[Matt Tabak]]|May 4, 2011}}</ref> although Winter Orb's functionality was restored with the release of Eternal Masters. They left alone cards like <c>Howling Mine</c> and <c>Static Orb</c>, though, that had been reprinted with the new errata, as there were more cards with the errata in print than without.<ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/85567915933/in-your-article-today-you-mentioned-that-both|title=Howling Mine definitely was, but Winter Orb doesn't say that on Gatherer. What gives?|date=May 12, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/109367975598/gasp-howling-mine-had-functional-eratta|title=Gasp! Howling Mine had functional eratta!|date=January 28, 2015}}</ref>
Years later, R&D made the choice to undo functional errata and some of the cards, like <c>Winter Orb</c>, went back to their original wording, no longer shutting off when tapped,<ref>{{NewRef|feature/may-2011-update-bulletin-2011-05-04|May 2011 Update Bulletin|[[Matt Tabak]]|May 4, 2011}}</ref> although Winter Orb's functionality was restored with the release of Eternal Masters. They left alone cards like <c>Howling Mine</c> and <c>Static Orb</c>, though, that had been reprinted with the new errata, as there were more cards with the errata in print than without.<ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/85567915933/in-your-article-today-you-mentioned-that-both|title=Howling Mine definitely was, but Winter Orb doesn't say that on Gatherer. What gives?|date=May 12, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/109367975598/gasp-howling-mine-had-functional-eratta|title=Gasp! Howling Mine had functional eratta!|date=January 28, 2015}}</ref>


==Lion's Eye Diamond==
===Lion's Eye Diamond===
<c>Lion's Eye Diamond</c> was issued the errata text "Play this ability only any time you could play an instant" because R&D didn't want players to be able to use the mana from Lion's Eye Diamond to play a card from their hand. With the errata text, players couldn't pull shenanigans like that.<ref>{{NewRef|ask-wizards-december-2003-2003-12-01|Ask Wizards: question about the errata text on Lion's Eye Diamond.|[[Mark Gottlieb]]|December 9, 2003}}</ref><ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/143224126923/you-say-you-dont-do-functional-errata-but-what|title=The "Activate only as an instant" clause is functional errata, no?|date=April 22, 2016}}</ref>
<c>Lion's Eye Diamond</c> was issued the errata text "Play this ability only any time you could play an instant" because R&D didn't want players to be able to use the mana from Lion's Eye Diamond to play a card from their hand. With the errata text, players couldn't pull shenanigans like that.<ref>{{NewRef|ask-wizards-december-2003-2003-12-01|Ask Wizards: question about the errata text on Lion's Eye Diamond.|[[Mark Gottlieb]]|December 9, 2003}}</ref><ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/143224126923/you-say-you-dont-do-functional-errata-but-what|title=The "Activate only as an instant" clause is functional errata, no?|date=April 22, 2016}}</ref>
==Creature types==
 
===Creature types===
The [[Grand Creature Type Update]] (when R&D "added creature types all over older cards") was an attempt to make all the cards do what people believed they did.<ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/11336250592/i-found-this-on-the-internet-can-someone-explain|title=Except when it comes to creature types getting added all over older cards?|date=October 11, 2011}}</ref> R&D now considers the Grand Creature Update to have been a mistake because too many cards don't do what they say.<ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/79828447495/is-the-number-of-cards-that-would-have-to-be|title=Is the number of cards that would have to be rewritten really more than the Grand Creature Type Update?|date=March 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/79843986189/the-grand-creature-update-was-a-mistake-why|title=The Grand Creature Update was a mistake? Why?|date=March 17, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/50547467117/is-retroactively-applying-creature-types|title=Is retroactively applying creature types considered "functional errata"?|date=May 15, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/163697454263/rd-seems-pretty-adamant-in-not-making-functional|title=Why is it that creature types get a pass, given that they do have gameplay repercussions?|date=August 01, 2017}}</ref>
The [[Grand Creature Type Update]] (when R&D "added creature types all over older cards") was an attempt to make all the cards do what people believed they did.<ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/11336250592/i-found-this-on-the-internet-can-someone-explain|title=Except when it comes to creature types getting added all over older cards?|date=October 11, 2011}}</ref> R&D now considers the Grand Creature Update to have been a mistake because too many cards don't do what they say.<ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/79828447495/is-the-number-of-cards-that-would-have-to-be|title=Is the number of cards that would have to be rewritten really more than the Grand Creature Type Update?|date=March 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/79843986189/the-grand-creature-update-was-a-mistake-why|title=The Grand Creature Update was a mistake? Why?|date=March 17, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/50547467117/is-retroactively-applying-creature-types|title=Is retroactively applying creature types considered "functional errata"?|date=May 15, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/163697454263/rd-seems-pretty-adamant-in-not-making-functional|title=Why is it that creature types get a pass, given that they do have gameplay repercussions?|date=August 01, 2017}}</ref>


This is also the reason, that R&D doesn't want to retroactively make <c>Chromanticore</c> or the [[Nephilim]] [[legendary]].<ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/154524447803/any-chance-well-see-chromanticore-erratad-to|title=Any chance we'll see Chromanticore errata'd to legendary?|date=December 15, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/143649894068/could-the-nephilim-not-just-be-errated-to-be|title=Could the Nephilim not just be errated to be legendary?|date=April 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/87711909858/if-you-can-change-creature-types-for|title=Why can't you change card types to be legendary such as the case for the Nephilim?|date=June 03, 2014}}</ref>
This is also the reason, that R&D doesn't want to retroactively make <c>Chromanticore</c> or the [[Nephilim]] [[legendary]].<ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/154524447803/any-chance-well-see-chromanticore-erratad-to|title=Any chance we'll see Chromanticore errata'd to legendary?|date=December 15, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/143649894068/could-the-nephilim-not-just-be-errated-to-be|title=Could the Nephilim not just be errated to be legendary?|date=April 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{EzTumblr|url=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/87711909858/if-you-can-change-creature-types-for|title=Why can't you change card types to be legendary such as the case for the Nephilim?|date=June 03, 2014}}</ref>
==Ajani's Pridemate==
<c>Ajani's Pridemate</c> received functional [[errata]] during the ''[[Ravnica Allegiance]]'' [[oracle]] update, in anticipation of its appearance in ''[[Challenger Decks 2019]]''.<ref>{{NewRef|news/ravnica-allegiance-oracle-changes-2019-01-22|''Ravnica Allegiance'' Oracle Changes|[[Eli Shiffrin]]|January 22, 2019}}</ref> This errata removed the optional part of the card's [[triggered ability]]. This was done because [[tournament]] policy doesn't get you a penalty anymore when missing beneficial triggers, to make the card look and read better on paper and to improve digital play.


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 05:46, 23 January 2019

Errata are official changes to rules texts on cards, often to clarify card effects or to preserve the effects of cards as the rules of the game change. The official texts of all Magic cards are stored in a document maintained by Wizards of the Coast called the Oracle. The only official way to get the Oracle wordings is from Gatherer. In the early days of Magic it wasn't unusual for cards to get huge gameplay-changing errata.[1] Nowadays, functional errata (errata that changed functionally what the card did from its original printing) are mostly avoided. Sometimes overall rules are changed, and that may impact how particular cards work. The functionality of individual cards is usualley not tampered with anymore.[2]

Examples

Continuous artifacts

Continuous artifacts used to have a special rule that said they turned off when tapped.[3] This caused us all sorts of problems, because designers and players kept forgetting that this rule existed and broken decks kept exploiting it. A classic example of this problem in action was the card Sands of Time, from Visions. The first premier event to use Visions cards was the first Magic Invitational, held in Hong Kong. Sands of Time tapped things untapped and untapped things tapped. It was designed as a weird card that you had to work around. Unfortunately, the "shut it off" rule allowed players to abuse the card by only having it work on the opponent's turn. After some abuse, R&D was forced to issue errata. When R&D was working on the Sixth Edition rule change, it was brought up that the "tapped artifacts shut off" rule was confusing, non-intuitive, and constantly causing problems. In the new rules all artifacts worked the way they were worded regardless of tapped status. The solution at the time was that the handful of cards that R&D wanted to turn off when tapped received extra rules text.[4] Both Howling Mine and Winter Orb got errata to read "if this is untapped," allowing the same tricks to work on them without having to have the general rule.

Years later, R&D made the choice to undo functional errata and some of the cards, like Winter Orb, went back to their original wording, no longer shutting off when tapped,[5] although Winter Orb's functionality was restored with the release of Eternal Masters. They left alone cards like Howling Mine and Static Orb, though, that had been reprinted with the new errata, as there were more cards with the errata in print than without.[6][7]

Lion's Eye Diamond

Lion's Eye Diamond was issued the errata text "Play this ability only any time you could play an instant" because R&D didn't want players to be able to use the mana from Lion's Eye Diamond to play a card from their hand. With the errata text, players couldn't pull shenanigans like that.[8][9]

Creature types

The Grand Creature Type Update (when R&D "added creature types all over older cards") was an attempt to make all the cards do what people believed they did.[10] R&D now considers the Grand Creature Update to have been a mistake because too many cards don't do what they say.[11][12][13][14]

This is also the reason, that R&D doesn't want to retroactively make Chromanticore or the Nephilim legendary.[15][16][17]

Ajani's Pridemate

Ajani's Pridemate received functional errata during the Ravnica Allegiance oracle update, in anticipation of its appearance in Challenger Decks 2019.[18] This errata removed the optional part of the card's triggered ability. This was done because tournament policy doesn't get you a penalty anymore when missing beneficial triggers, to make the card look and read better on paper and to improve digital play.

References

  1. ↑ Template:NewRef
  2. ↑ [[Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 40: Malformed URL.]]. "[{{{1}}} Doesn't keywording abilities potentially cause some functional changes?]". Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 50: Malformed URL.. Tumblr.
  3. ↑ Template:NewRef
  4. ↑ Template:NewRef
  5. ↑ Template:NewRef
  6. ↑ [[Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 40: Malformed URL.]]. "[{{{1}}} Howling Mine definitely was, but Winter Orb doesn't say that on Gatherer. What gives?]". Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 50: Malformed URL.. Tumblr.
  7. ↑ [[Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 40: Malformed URL.]]. "[{{{1}}} Gasp! Howling Mine had functional eratta!]". Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 50: Malformed URL.. Tumblr.
  8. ↑ Template:NewRef
  9. ↑ [[Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 40: Malformed URL.]]. "[{{{1}}} The "Activate only as an instant" clause is functional errata, no?]". Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 50: Malformed URL.. Tumblr.
  10. ↑ [[Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 40: Malformed URL.]]. "[{{{1}}} Except when it comes to creature types getting added all over older cards?]". Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 50: Malformed URL.. Tumblr.
  11. ↑ [[Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 40: Malformed URL.]]. "[{{{1}}} Is the number of cards that would have to be rewritten really more than the Grand Creature Type Update?]". Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 50: Malformed URL.. Tumblr.
  12. ↑ [[Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 40: Malformed URL.]]. "[{{{1}}} The Grand Creature Update was a mistake? Why?]". Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 50: Malformed URL.. Tumblr.
  13. ↑ [[Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 40: Malformed URL.]]. "[{{{1}}} Is retroactively applying creature types considered "functional errata"?]". Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 50: Malformed URL.. Tumblr.
  14. ↑ [[Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 40: Malformed URL.]]. "[{{{1}}} Why is it that creature types get a pass, given that they do have gameplay repercussions?]". Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 50: Malformed URL.. Tumblr.
  15. ↑ [[Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 40: Malformed URL.]]. "[{{{1}}} Any chance we'll see Chromanticore errata'd to legendary?]". Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 50: Malformed URL.. Tumblr.
  16. ↑ [[Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 40: Malformed URL.]]. "[{{{1}}} Could the Nephilim not just be errated to be legendary?]". Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 50: Malformed URL.. Tumblr.
  17. ↑ [[Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 40: Malformed URL.]]. "[{{{1}}} Why can't you change card types to be legendary such as the case for the Nephilim?]". Lua error in Module:EzTumblr at line 50: Malformed URL.. Tumblr.
  18. ↑ Template:NewRef
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