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Phasing MTG
Teferi's Protection

Teferi's Protection Russian

Last Modified 06.05.2021

Let’s discuss a strange and probably the most difficult ability in Magic to understand — Phasing.

Teferi's Protection

Oracle Text:

Instant

Until your next turn, you life total can’t change and you have protection from everything. All permanents you control phase out. (While they’re phase out, they’re treated as though they don’t exist. They phase in before you untap during your untap step.)

Exile Teferi’s Protection.

Phasing appeared at Mirage set and since then it’s mechanics has been changed many times. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away there was a special zone where all permanents that are “phase out” were located. If a permanent phased out zone-change triggers triggered, but if a permanent phased in all zone-change triggers fell a sleep. One day late Wizards decided that this is unnaturally behavior and as a result all zone-change triggers has stopped to trigger. Then Wizards asked themselves why we move a permanent between zones but zone-change triggers ignore this fact? And... phase out zone phased out from Magic rules. Today phase in/out is a status of the permanent.

How does Phasing work

702.26a. Phasing is a static ability that modifies the rules of the untap step. During each player’s untap step, before the active player untaps permanents, all phased-in permanents with phasing that player controls “phase out.” Simultaneously, all phased-out permanents that had phased out under that player’s control “phase in.”

  • The untap step begins
  • All phased-in permanents with phasing that the active player controls phase out, and all phased-out permanents that the active player controlled when they phased out phase in. All of that happens simultaneously.
  • Abilities say “whenever ~ phases in/out” trigger. Example: Teferi’s Imp.
  • The active player determines which permanents they control will untap. Then they untap all of them simultaneously.
  • Abilities say “whenever ~ becomes untapped” trigger. Example: Wake Thrasher.
  • The upkeep step begins.
  • Abilities say “at the beginning of upkeep...” trigger.
  • The game checks SBA.
  • Each player, in APNAP order, puts each triggered ability they control with a trigger condition that isn’t another ability triggering on the stack in any order they choose.
  • The game checks SBA.
  • The active player receives priority and can cast a spell, activate an ability, or take a special action. Also they can pass and after SBA are checked the next player in turn order receives priority.
Yosei, the Morning Star

Before considering phasing in detail, let’s pay attention to the situation in which nothing happens:

702.26m. If an effect causes a player to skip their untap step, the phasing event simply doesn’t occur that turn.

Trigger of Yosei, the Morning Star creates the similar effect: the target player skips their untap step. It means that under this player control all phase-out permanents and phase-in permanents with phasing do not change their status.

Rule 702.26a tells us that phasing in/out occurs at the untap step before permanents untap. That means:

  • if the permanent was tapped, it will phase in or phase out tapped;
  • since no player receives priority during the untap step, they can not react to what is happening..

Only the permanents that active player controls phase in/out directly. If the permanent that active player controls phase out at the end of the turn, it will phase in after the whole turn, at the next untap step of this player. In the untap step, the permanents that inactive player controls can phase in or phase out only indirectly. In order to phase in, the phase-out permanent does not need to have the phasing ability at all. It phases in automatically.

Shimmer
Forest
Naturalize

A cunning opponent brought Shimmer to the battlefield and named the Forests that phase out in our untap step. If we have not lost our wits and destroyed the enemy’s enchantment, then our Forests will not remain phase-out forever, because they no longer have phasing ability. According to rule 702.26 a. these Forests will become phase-in in our next untap step.

Phase-out permanents are invisible to the game:

702.26b. If a permanent phases out, its status changes to “phased out.” Except for rules and effects that specifically mention phased-out permanents, a phased-out permanent is treated as though it does not exist. It can’t affect or be affected by anything else in the game. A permanent that phases out is removed from combat. (See rule 506.4.)

Example: You control three creatures, one of which is phased out. You cast a spell that says “Draw a card for each creature you control.” You draw two cards.

Example: You control a phased-out creature. You cast a spell that says “Destroy all creatures.” The phased-out creature is not destroyed.

The game ignores a phase-out permanent until the text of the effect contains a direct reference to a permanent with the same status, for example, as Time and Tide.

A phase-out permanent can not be destroyed, sacrificed, bounced etc. by means that affect ordinary permanents.

As soon as the permanent phases in, the game immediately notices it.

702.26c. If a permanent phases in, its status changes to “phased in.” The game once again treats it as though it exists.

All other statuses of the permanent when it phases in/out are saved: the permanent remains tapped/untapped, flipped or not, face up/down. The transformed permanent remains transformed.

Morph

If a Morph phases out, a) it keeps its incognito; b) in both statuses phase-in and phase-out it will be face down.

Stabwhisker the Odious

The phase-out Stabwhisker the Odious will phases in as Stabwhisker the Odious.

Insectile Aberration

The phase-out Insectile Aberration will phases in as Insectile Aberration, not as Delver of Secrets.

Continuous effects are very interesting. Some of them continue to work, and some are not.

702.26e. If a continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability modifies the characteristics or changes the controller of any objects, a phased-out permanent won’t be included in the set of affected objects. This includes continuous effects that reference the permanent specifically, unless they also specifically refer to the permanent as phased out.

702.26f. Continuous effects that affect a phased-out permanent may expire while that permanent is phased out. If so, they will no longer affect that permanent once it’s phased in. In particular, effects with “for as long as” durations that track that permanent (see rule 611.2b) end when that permanent phases out because they can no longer see it.

Olivia Voldaren

If Olivia Voldaren phases out, then control over the borrowed creature is lost, because this effect ceases to exist as Olivia phases out.

Stolen Identity

When a creature encoded with Stolen Identity phases out, the connection between these objects is lost because rule 702.99c uses “for as long as.”

Thassa, God of the Sea

If your devotion to blue is five and Thassa, God of the Sea phases out, then the game no longer sees it, your devotion to blue drops to four and Thassa ceases to be a creature.

When determining which effects stop working and which are not, you need to read the card text very carefully (preferably in the Oracle!)

Banisher Priest

Banisher Priest phases out, then the exiled card will not return, because Banisher Priest does not leave the battlefield, and the effect does not end.

Vesuvan Shapeshifter

If Vesuvan Shapeshifter copied some creature phases out, it remains a copy of this creature until it leaves the battlefield or turned face down.

Fleecemane Lion

Monstrous Fleecemane Lion phases out and keeps its Monstrosity.

Phasing is NOT changing the zone

Does phasing out count as leaving the battlefield? No! Does phasing trigger enter the battlefield effects? No!

702.26d. The phasing event doesn’t actually cause a permanent to change zones or control, even though it’s treated as though it’s not on the battlefield and not under its controller’s control while it’s phased out. Zone-change triggers don’t trigger when a permanent phases in or out. Tokens continue to exist on the battlefield while phased out. Counters remain on a permanent while it’s phased out. Effects that check a phased-in permanent’s history won’t treat the phasing event as having caused the permanent to leave or enter the battlefield or its controller’s control.

The game considers the phased permanent as the same object — it remembers everything about its existence.

Phyrexian Dreadnought
Teferi's Protection

Understanding the phasing allow you to implement clever tricks. For example, you can get rid of the drawback trigger. If you cast Teferi’s Protection in response to Phyrexian Dreadnought’s trigger then Phyrexian Dreadnought phases out and you can't sacrifice it as the trigger resolves when it phased-out and the game doesn’t see it. At the beginning of your next untap step Phyrexian Dreadnought will phase in without any triggers!

Oblivion Ring

If Oblivion Ring phases out or phases in, none of its triggers will trigger, because Oblivion Ring does not leave the battlefield and does not enter the battlefield. Note that when phasing, the Oblivion Ring does not lose its connection to the exiled cards.

Changing the status does not break the continuity of control. It means that creatures do not suffer from “summoning sickness” if you have controlled them long enough and continuously.

If you bring a creature to the battlefield during the opponent's turn (for example, Teferi Mage of Zhalfir), and the cunning opponent phase it out, Teferi will phase in at the beginning of your untap step, and you can attack with it during the same turn.

Phasing indirectly

702.26g When a permanent phases out, any Auras, Equipment, or Fortifications attached to that permanent phase out at the same time. This alternate way of phasing out is known as phasing out “indirectly.” An Aura, Equipment, or Fortification that phased out indirectly won’t phase in by itself, but instead phases in along with the permanent it’s attached to.

Runeclaw Bear
Spirit Mantle
Batterskull

Let’s say you control Runeclaw Bear enchanted by Spirit Mantle and equipped with Batterskull. If a cunning opponent decides to eliminate the threat with Reality Ripple, then both the Aura and the Equipment phase out indirectly. When your untap step begins, the Bear phases in directly, and Spirit Mantle and Batterskull indirectly: as permanents attached to the phasing creature.

Because the game does not see the phased-out permanents, the SBA ignores them.

Mutavault
Godsend
Reality Ripple

Let’s say you animated Mutavault and equipped it with Godsend. The cunning opponent casts Reality Ripple, targeting your Mutavault. Both the creature and the equipment phase out. At the cleanup step, the Mutavault ceases to be a creature, but the game doesn’t notice it. When your next untap step begins, Mutavault phases in and indirectly brings Godsend with it. Only during SBA checking Godsend falls off.

The following rule tells us that if one permanent is attached to another, the game will try to keep this connection when phasing.

702.26h  If an object would simultaneously phase out directly and indirectly, it just phases out indirectly.

Runeclaw Bear
Spirit Mantle
Teferi's Protection

Let’s say you control Runeclaw Bear enchanted by Spirit Mantle. As Teferi's Protection resolves both permanents must phase out. But, since Spirit Mantle is attached to the Bear, it must phase out indirectly. Here is a situation in which the permanent must simultaneously phase out both directly and indirectly. Apply rule 702.26 g, and Spirit Mantle phases out indirectly. Accordingly, and will phase in with Bear.

702.26i An Aura, Equipment, or Fortification that phased out directly will phase in attached to the object or player it was attached to when it phased out, if that object is still in the same zone or that player is still in the game. If not, that Aura, Equipment, or Fortification Fortification: An artifact subtype. Fortifications can be attached to lands. See rule 301, "Artifacts," and rule 702.67, "Fortify." 301. Artifacts 702.67. Fortify phases in unattached. State-based actions apply as appropriate. (See rules 704.5m and 704.5n.)

Tarmogoyf
Darksteel Plate
Reality Ripple

Cunning opponent attacks you with Tarmogoyf equipped with Darksteel Plate. You have a Doom Blade in your hand, but it can't handle an indestructible creature. You cast Reality Ripple targeting equipment, then destroy Tarmogoyf. During the next untap step, the Darksteel Plate will phase in and search for Tarmogoyf. It won't find him, and it will remain on the battlefield, attached to nothing. If the cunning opponent blinks his Tarmogoyf in response to the removal, then phase in, Darksteel Plate will not find it either. Because the game will count it as a completely different object. If you phase out an aura and destroy the creature it was attached to, then after phasing in it would go to the graveyard as the next SBA checking.

702.26j Abilities that trigger when a permanent becomes attached or unattached from an object or player don’t trigger when that permanent phases in or out.

Grafted Exoskeleton

If Grafted Exoskeleton phases out directly it’s ability will not trigger.

Bramble Elemental

Even if the aura attached to the Bramble Elemental phases out directly, the ability will not trigger.

Phasing out tokens

Until recently, the tokens ceased to exist then phased out. Now that’s not the case. Which is generally understandable, because phased-out permanents do not leave the battlefield.

token germ 0/0
Batterskull
Reality Ripple

If a Germ 0/0 token equipped with Batterskull phases out, then Batterskull changes its status too, as an equipment attached to phase-out creature. According to the new rules, at the beginning of the untap step, the token will phase in with Batterskull.

Phasing in the Commander

The following rules apply to multiplayer games:

702.26k Phased-out permanents owned by a player who leaves the game also leave the game. This doesn’t trigger zone-change triggers. See rule 800.4.

702.26n. In a multiplayer game, game rules may cause a phased-out permanent to leave the game or to be exiled once a player leaves the game. (See rules 800.4a and 800.4c.) If a phased-out permanent phased out under the control of a player who has left the game, that permanent phases in during the next untap step after that player’s next turn would have begun.

If a player loses in the Commander game, then all their phase-out permanents are put in the deck box. Moreover, it does not matter how they got their status directly or indirectly.

NB: If your Commander phases out, you cannot to put it into the command zone because “phase-out” is not a zone.

And the last phasing rule for today: If a permanent has two phasing abilities there is only one phasing. Remember that phasing is a static ability, it does not know how to trigger.

702.26p Multiple instances of phasing on the same permanent are redundant.

Now we know all about phasing, it’s time to discuss

How does Teferi’s Protection work

Teferi’s Protection creates several effects. Two of them are continuous and have duration until the beginning of the next turn of the Protection’s controller. As usual in Magic game “next” means “nearest”.

  • If you cast Teferi's Protection during your turn, the effects will work during all of your opponents’ turns and will stop at the beginning of your untap step.
  • If you cast Teferi’s Protection during opponents turn, then the effect will end with the start of your next turn.

You life total can’t change

We have already seen a card with the same text. It is Platinum Emperion. Its reminder text says: “You can’t gain or lose life. You can’t pay any amount of life except 0”. This is a good hint, because every event that leads to a life change:

  • either it increases them, that means you get lifes;
  • or it reduces them, which means you lose lifes.

Since this is prohibited, all such manipulations cannot be performed: effects (parts of effects) are ignored, and costs cannot be paid.

Grove of the Burnwillows

If your opponent activates the 2d ability of Grove of the Burnwillows, you will not get any lifes. Getting a life is part of the ability’s effect. That is why the game ignores it.

Ad Nauseam

Thanks to the fact that you can’t lose lifes using Ad Nauseam, you can put the entire library in your hand. Some decks win the game that way.

Tree of Redemption

If your life should increase or decrease as a result of resolving the Tree of Redemption ability, then there is no exchange. (CR 118.7).

Resolute Archangel

The Resolute Archangel trigger will do nothing, because setting the amount of life to a specific value also leads to life changes that are forbidden.

Mental Misstep

You will not be able to cast Mental Misstep, by paying for the Phyrexian mana symbol with lifes.

Force of Will

You will not be able to cast Force of Will for an alternative cost.

Invigorate

Your opponent will not be able to cast Invigorate for an alternative cost, because it is impossible to pay lifes for it.

Nefarious Lich

Since you can’t get lifes, the effects that replace getting and losing life don’t work. I.e. you can’t draw a card instead of getting life (CR 614.16c).

Blood Scrivener

The replacement effect of Blood Scrivener will replace draw a card with draw two cards, and the part about losing 1 life will be ignored.

Since Teferi’s Protection gives the player protection from everything (see below), all is written further about the first part of the effect is true only for Platinum Imperion. However, this information may be useful to you:

Platinum Emperion

The Platinum Imperion ability doesn’t prevent damage, it just changes its consequences. Normal damage is dealt, but does not affect the amount of life. Damage from a permanent with an Infection as usual gives out an appropriate number of poison counters.

All associated abilities works: the Lifelink will give your opponent a number of lifes equal to the damage you have done; triggers that respond to damage will trigger and receive information about how much damage has been done.

Protection from everything

So far, there was only one Magic card that mentions “Protection from everything”. It is Progenitus. The special rule is written for it:

702.16j “Protection from everything” is a variant of the protection ability. A permanent with protection from everything has protection from each object regardless of that object’s characteristic values. Such a permanent can’t be targeted by spells or abilities, enchanted by Auras, equipped with Equipment, fortified by Fortifications, or blocked by creatures, and all damage that would be dealt to it is prevented.

Progenitus
  • Progenitus can’t be blocked by creatures.
  • Progenitus can’t be enchanted by any Auras
  • including Spectra Ward, because in addition to protection from all colors, it has protection from enchantments, auras, mono-colored spells and permanents, permanents with a mana value 5, etc.
  • Progenitus can’t be equipped with any Equipment.
  • Progenitus can’t be targeted by any spells or abilities.
  • All damage that would be dealt to Progenitus is prevented.

However, it can be countered because Protection works only on the battlefield. It can be sacrificed, exiled etc. if the spell or ability doesn’t target it: Damnation or Kagemaro, First to Suffer.

As for damages, they are prevented, i.e. they are not applied at all. And they have no consequences. The exceptions are the effects that claim that damage cannot be prevented: Everlasting Torment, Leyline of Punishment. Excruciator cannot block the Progenitor, but if Progenitus blocks the Excruciator, Progenitus will receive damage.

Accordingly, if the player has Protection from everything, then:

  • (702.16b) this player can’t be targeted by anything;
  • (702.16c) this player can’t be enchanted ( Fraying Sanity will fall of);
  • (702.16e) all damage that would be dealt to this player is prevented.

Nothing else happens:

  • the player can still be attacked (meaning that damage is usually prevented);
  • the player is affected by spells and abilities that do not target them (“every player...”, “all opponents...”, etc.) and do not deals damage to him;
  • the player can lose the game: if they have 13 lifes, then Triskaidekaphobia will finish them.

  1. To understand why the phrase is written this way, you need to read about Phasing indirectly.