Enters the battlefield
| Enters the Battlefield | |
|---|---|
| Mechanic | |
| Introduced | Portal |
| Last used | Evergreen |
| Scryfall Search | |
| fulloracle:"enter(s|ing)? the battlefield" | |
"Enters', or Enters the battlefield, refers to putting a permanent onto the battlefield, or to an ability which is triggered when a permanent is put onto the battlefield. It is commonly abbreviated ETB.
History
"Enters-the-battlefield" abilities are a mechanic designed by Bill Rose for Portal. The design team liked it so much that they included it on one card of each color in Visions.[1] Popular cards with "enters-the-battlefield" effects were Nekrataal and Man-o'-War.[2]
"Enters the battlefield" replaced the term "comes into play" when Magic 2010 rules changes went into effect.[3]
"Enters-the-battlefield" abilities which damage or kill a creature or destroy a permanent were colloquially known as 187 effects.
"Enters the battlefield" is not a keyword, but R&D talked about keywording it multiple times.[4]
Starting with Bloomburrow in 2024, the phrase "Enters the battlefield" is shortened to "Enters" (and this will be applied retroactively in Oracle).[5] Entering will be connected specifically with the battlefield, so cards can’t, for example, “enter the graveyard”. R&D will occasionally write out “enters the battlefield” where they think it is needed for clarity in a template. Note that Sagas already used the "enters" template earlier. Meanwhile, “Leaves the battlefield” is *not* being shortened to “leaves” as R&D have used leave as a means to talk about cards leaving the graveyard, so it created ambiguity they didn’t want.[6]
Rules
From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)
- Enters the Battlefield
- A nontoken permanent “enters the battlefield” when it’s moved onto the battlefield from another zone. A token “enters the battlefield” when it’s created. See rules 403.3, 603.6a, 603.6d, and 614.12.
From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)
- 603.6a Enters-the-battlefield abilities trigger when a permanent enters the battlefield. These are written, “When [this object] enters the battlefield, . . . “ or “Whenever a [type] enters the battlefield, . . .” Each time an event puts one or more permanents onto the battlefield, all permanents on the battlefield (including the newcomers) are checked for any enters-the-battlefield triggers that match the event.
References
- ↑ Brady Dommermuth (June 01, 2009). "Mechanically Inclined". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (June 5, 2017). "Mechanical Color Pie 2017". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Aaron Forsythe and Mark L. Gottlieb (June 10, 2009). "Magic 2010 Rules Changes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (February 20, 2024). "If/When keywording Enters The Battlefield.". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Jess Dunks (February 23, 2024). ""Enters" always means "enters the battlefield" when used on a Magic card, and we'll see this shorter template on new cards moving forward.". Twitter.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (February 26, 2024). "Is the templating in Bloomburrow shortening 'enters the battlefield' to just 'enters' a new tech for all ETB, or just for creatures that have their own effect trigger on entry?". Blogatog. Tumblr.