Activate
| Activate | |
|---|---|
| Keyword Action | |
| Introduced |
Alpha (mechanic) Sixth Edition (keyword) |
| Last used | Evergreen |
| Reminder Text | No official reminder text |
| Scryfall Statistics | |
Activate is the keyword action for using activated abilities. Activated abilities can be identified by the use of a colon, :, separating a cost and an effect. To activate that ability, the ability is moved to the stack and its cost is paid.
Activated abilities were introduced in Alpha, but rules text was often inconsistent, and early cards most often described activated abilities simply as being "used". The word "activate" first appears in the term "activation cost", introduced in Alliances. In the Sixth Edition rules change, the keyword action play was expanded to encompass several different actions, including the use of activated abilities. That change was reverted in Magic 2010, which separated cast and activate into distinct keywords.[1][2]
Rules
From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (September 19, 2025—Marvel's Spider-Man)
- Activate
- To put an activated ability onto the stack and pay its costs, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect. See rule 602, “Activating Activated Abilities.”
From the Comprehensive Rules (September 19, 2025—Marvel's Spider-Man)
- 701.2. Activate
- 701.2a To activate an activated ability is to put it onto the stack and pay its costs, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect. Only an object’s controller (or its owner, if it doesn’t have a controller) can activate its activated ability unless the object specifically says otherwise. A player may activate an ability if they have priority. See rule 602, “Activating Activated Abilities.”
References
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (June 10, 2009). "Rules Changes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (June 8, 2015). "Evergreen Eggs & Ham". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.