Enter
| Enter | |
|---|---|
| Mechanic | |
| Introduced | Portal |
| Last used | Evergreen |
| Scryfall Statistics | |
A permanent that enters is currently put onto the battlefield. Many triggered abilities use this event as a trigger. Previously it was spelled out as enters the battlefield and is therefore commonly abbreviated as ETB.
History
"Enters the Battlefield" was originally phrased as "Comes into play" (abbreviated as CIP)
"Enters-the-battlefield" abilities were introduced as 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" abilities which damage or kill a creature or destroy a permanent were colloquially known as 187 effects.
"Enters the battlefield" replaced the term "comes into play" when Magic 2010 rules changes went into effect.[3]
Starting with Bloomburrow in 2024, the phrase "Enters the battlefield" was shortened to "Enters", with cards receiving errata in Oracle.[4][5] Entering is specifically connected with the battlefield, so cards won't be worded as “enter the graveyard” or "entering the library". R&D will occasionally write out “enters the battlefield” where they think it is needed for clarity in a template. Sagas, which already used the "enters" template in their reminder text, showed that players could comprehend the change conceptually. In contrast, “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]
Despite being shortened, "Enters" is not a keyword. R&D have talked about keywording the action multiple times.[7] The word "arrives" was considered as an alternative.[8] To date, the cost of changing the language has not been deemed worth the change.
Rules
From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (July 25, 2025—Edge of Eternities)
- Enter
- In rules text, to enter the battlefield. See “Enters the Battlefield.”
From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (July 25, 2025—Edge of Eternities)
- Enters the Battlefield
- A nontoken permanent enters the battlefield when it’s moved onto the battlefield from another zone. A token enters the battlefield as it’s created. See rules 403.3, 603.6a, 603.6d, and 614.12. This phrase has been shortened to simply “enters” in rules text on cards in most contexts.
From the Comprehensive Rules (July 25, 2025—Edge of Eternities)
- 603.6a Enters-the-battlefield abilities trigger when a permanent enters the battlefield. These are written, “When [this object] enters, . . . “ or “Whenever a [type] enters, . . .” 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.
From the Comprehensive Rules (July 25, 2025—Edge of Eternities)
- 700.15. The term enter[s] is short for “enter[s] the battlefield.”
References
- ↑ Brady Dommermuth (June 01, 2009). "Mechanically Inclined". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29.
- ↑ 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. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12.
- ↑ Eric Levine and Eliana Rabinowitz (July 19, 2024). "Bloomburrow Release Notes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (February 20, 2024). "If/When keywording Enters The Battlefield.". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (March 4, 2024). "Were any other words discussed to replace "enters the battlefield" other than "enters?"". Blogatog. Tumblr.