M:tG Color Pie

Here are all the keywords used in Magic in alphabetical order. If you’re looking to create a new card and you want to re-visit a keyword or curious how it would be templated, here you go. (If by some mistake I have mistemplated a card, please leave it in the comments and I will fix it.)

Note – While “Ability” Keywords are not really keywords, they are included in this list as well since most players think of them as connected together. Here it is from the comprehensive rules:

206.2c An ability word appears in italics at the beginning of some abilities on cards. Ability words are similar to keywords in that they tie together cards that have similar functionality, but they have no special rules meaning and no individual entries in the Comprehensive Rules. The ability words are channel, chroma, domain, grandeur, hellbent, imprint, kinship, radiance, sweep, and threshold.

This list is updated through Zendikar

Absorb
Absorb X (If a source would deal damage, prevent X of that damage.)
Used by: Creatures

Affinity
Affinity for [Quantity] (This spell costs 1 less for each [Quantity] you control.)
Used by: All Non-Planeswalker Spells (at this time, issue is space on the Planeswalker card)

Amplify
Amplify X (As this card enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on it for each [creature type shard with card] you reveal in your hand).
Used by: Creatures

Aura Swap
Aura swap [Cost] ([Cost]: Exchange this aura with an aura card in your hand)
Used by: Enchantment – Aura

Banding
Banding (Any creatures with banding, and up to one without, can attack in a band. Bands are blocked as a group. In any creatures with banding you control are blocking or being blocked by a creature, you divide that creature’s combat damage, not its controller, among any of the creatures it’s being blocked by or is blocking).
Used by: Creatures
Notes: Discontinued by Wizards. Recommend non-usage of this keyword. Bands with other [Creature type] means any number of that creature type can attack in a bad as long as one of them has the “Bands with” line.

Bloodthirst
Bloodthirst X (If an opponent was dealt damage this turn, this creature enters the battlefield with (a) X +1/+1 counter(s) on it.)
Used by: Creatures
Notes: It does not matter how much damage as been dealt, as long as it has been dealt. Currently seen only on Red/Green creatures.

Bushido
Bushido X (When this blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +X/+X until end of turn.)
Used by: Creatures
Notes: Current usage is only by the creature type Samuari

Buyback
Buyback [Cost] (You may [Cost]/(pay an additional [Cost] in addition to any other costs as you cast this spell. If you do, put this card into your hand as it resolves.)
Used by: Instants/Sorceries

Cascade
Cascade (When you cast this spell, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card that costs less. You may cast it without paying its mana cost. Put the exiled cards on the bottom in a random order.)
Used by: All non-Planeswalker spells
Notes: Currently only printed on Gold spells

Champion
Champion a [Creature type(s)] (When this enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you exile another [Creature type(s)] you control. When this leaves the battlefield, that card returns to the battlefield).
Used by: Creatures, though enchantments and artifacts could use Champion as well
Notes: Currently only creature types that can be championed are the same creature types that the card has, but not all of them.

Changeling
Changeling (This card is every creature type at all times)
Used by: All non-Planeswalker spells (Planeswalkers can’t have creature types)
Notes: When used by instants or sorceries, type line has to read: Tribal Instant – Shapeshifter (as seen in Lorwyn, though other creature types could be used in the future)

Channel
Channel – [Cost], Discard ~this~: [Action]
Used by: All non-Planeswalker permanents
Notes: Ability keyword so Channel appears in italics. Very similar to Cycling except you don’t draw the card.

Chroma
Chroma – [Cost]: [Action]
Used by: All non-Planeswalker spells
Notes: Ability keyword so Chroma appears in italics. Chroma action deals with the number of colored mana symbols on cards in one zone of the battlefield, hand, graveyard and now exiled zone.

Clash
Clash (Each clashing player reveals the top card of his or her library, then puts that card on the top or bottom. A player wins if his or her card had a higher converted mana cost.)
Used by: All non-Planeswalker permanents
Notes: Seen as a mini-game, clash is used to decide if someone won or lost. Ties are not wins.
Example: When ~this~ enters the battlefield, clash with an opponent. If you win, deal 2 damage to target creature.

Conspire
Conspire (As you cast this spell, you may tap two untapped creatures you control that share a color with it. When you do, copy it and you may chose a new target for the copy.)
Used by: Instants/Sorceries
Notes: Creatures tapped share a color with the spell, doesn’t have to be with each other.

Convoke
Convoke (Each creature you tap while casting this spell reduces its cost by {1} or by one mana of that creature’s color.)
Used by: All spells

Cumulative Upkeep
Cumulative Upkeep-[Cost] (At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice it unless you pay its upkeep cost for each age counter on it.)
Used by: All permanents (though putting it on a Planeswalker would defeat its purpose)

Cycling
Cycling [Cost] ([Cost], discard this card, draw a card)
Used by: All cards
Notes: Actions can happen when someone cycles the card (When you cycle ~this~, target player discards a card). Permanents can add (to) or remove/reduce it. Permanents can so have trigger effect whenever someone cycles a card.
Variations:
Basic landcycling – Instead of drawing a card, search you library for a basic land, reveal it, and put it in your hand. Then shuffle your library.
[Basic Land type]cycling – Instead of drawing a card, search your library for a [Basic Land type] card, reveal it, and put it in your hand. Then shuffle your library.
[Creature type]cycling – Instead of drawing a card, search your library for a [Creature type] card, reveal it, and put it in your hand. The shuffle your library.

Deathtouch
Deathtouch (Creatures dealt damage by this creature are destroyed. You can divide this creature’s combat damage among any of the creatures blocking or blocked by it.)
Used by: Creatures

Defender
Defender (This creature can’t attack)
Used by: Creatures

Delve
Delve (You may exile any number of cards from your graveyard as you cast this spell. It costs {1} less to cast for each card exiled this way.)
Used by: All Spells

Devour
Devour X (As this enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice any number of creatures. This creature enters the battlefield with X times that many +1/+1 counters on it)
Used by: Creatures
Notes: Sometimes a creature that has Devour also has an effect that references the number of creatures “it devoured.” At the moment, only seen on Black, Red or Green creatures.

Double Strike
Double Strike (It deals both first-strike and regular combat damage)
Used by: Creatures

Dredge
Dredge X (If you would draw a card, instead you may put exactly X card(s) from the top of your library into your graveyard. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, draw a card.)
Used by: All cards
Notes: This is a replacement effect, and triggers each time you would draw a card. At the moment, only seen on Black/Green cards and lands that produce those colors

Echo
Echo [Cost] (At the beginning of your upkeep, if this came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep, sacrifice it unless you pay its echo cost.)
Used by: All permanents
Notes: Echo costs don’t have to be the same as the casting cost anymore.

Entwine
Entwine [Cost] (Choose both if you pay the entwine cost.)
Used by: Instants/Sorceries
Notes: Cards with Entwine read as such: Choose one – A; or B. Entwine [Cost]. If the Entwine cost is paid, do both in the order it is written on the card.

Epic
Epic (For the rest of the game, you can’t cast spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability.)
Used by: Sorceries
Notes: You can still do other things, you can’t cast any more spells though.

Equip
Equip [Cost] ([Cost]: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery. This card enters the battlefield unattached and stays on the battlefield if the creature leaves.)
Used by: Artifact – Equipment

Exalted
Exalted (Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, that creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
Used by: All permanents
Notes: At the moment, only seen on While, Blue or Green permanents. Multiple copies of Exalted trigger each time (If you have two creatures with Exalted and the 1/1 attacks, it gets +2/+2).

Fading
Fading X (This [Card type] enters the battlefield with X fade counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a fade counter from it. If you can’t, sacrifice it).
Used by: All permanents (Planeswalkers would be redundant)
Notes: For all intents and purposes, replaced by Vanishing.

Fateseal
Fateseal X (Look at the top X card(s) of an opponent’s library, then put any number of them on the bottom of that player’s library and the rest on the top in any order.)
Used by: All cards
Notes: Can be used within a sentence.
Example: Put target creature on top of its owner’s library, then fateseal 2.

Fear
Fear (This creature can’t be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or black creatures)
Used by: Creatures
Notes: Seeming replaced by Intimidate

First Strike
First Strike (This creature deals combat damage before creatures without first strike.)
Used by: Creatures

Flanking
Flanking (Whenever a creature without flanking blocks this creature, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.)
Used by: Creatures

Flash
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could an instant.)
Used by: All permanents

Flashback
Flashback [Cost] (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
Used by: Instants/Sorceries

Flying
Flying (This creature can’t be blocked except by creatures with flying or reach.)
Used by: Creatures

Forecast
Forcast – [Cost], Reveal ~this~ from your hand: [Effect] (Activate this ability only during your upkeep and only once each turn.)
Used by: All non-Planeswalker Spells
Notes: So far, only used by White and Blue Cards. The Forecast effect ties directly into the main spell, either a smaller effect or helping the main spell.
Example: Pride of the Clouds – WU
Creature – Elemental Cat
Flying
~this~ gets +1/+1 for each other creature with flying on the battlefield.
Forecast – 2WU, Reveal ~this~ from your hand: Put a 1/1 white and blue Bird creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
1/1

Fortify
Fortify [Cost] ([Cost]: Attach to target land you control. Fortify only as a sorcery. This card enters the battlefield unattached and stays on the battlefield if the land leaves play.)
Used by: Artifact – Fortication
Notes: Equipment for lands.

Frenzy
Frenzy X (Whenever this creature attacks and isn’t blocked, it gets +X/+0 until end of turn.)
Used by: Creatures

Graft
Graft X (This [card type] enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counter(s) on it. Whenever a creature enters the battlefield, you may move a +1/+1 counter from this [card type] onto it.)
Used by: All Permanents
Notes: So far, only used by Blue/Green permanents/colored land. Most creatures have an ability to effect other creatures with a +1/+1 counter on it. Creatures are printed with 0/0 Power/toughness. Has been printed on a land, but no other Non-creature permanents yet. Could see play on a Planeswalker, but possibility of too many counters.

Grandeur
Grandeur – Discard another card named ~this~: [Effect]
Used by: Legendary Creatures
Notes: Ability keyword so Grandeur is in italics. Could be used on other permanents but meant for Legendary Creatures. The Grandeur effect is a smaller or tied into the main creature.

Gravestorm
Gravestorm (When you cast this spell, copy it for each permanent put into a graveyard this turn. You may choose new targets for the copies.)
Used by: Instants/Sorceries
Notes: a variation of Storm

Haste
Haste (It can attack and {Tap} this turn).
Used by: Creatures

Haunt
Haunt (When this card is put into a graveyard from the battlefield (After resolving), exile it haunting target creature).
Used by: All Non-Planeswalker spells
Notes: At the moment, only seen on Black and White cards. The “comes onto the battlefield” and spell have the same effect as the haunt effect. It’s seen as a spirit “haunting” a live creature until it’s death.
Example: Cry of Contrition – B
Sorcery
Target player discards a card.
Haunt
When the creature Cry of Contrition haunts is put into a graveyard, target player discards a card.

Hellbent
Spells: Hellbent – If you have no cards in hand, (Effect)
Permanents: Hellbent – (Effect) if you have no cards in hand.
Used by: All Non-Planeswalker cards
Notes: Ability keyword so Hellbent is in italics. Only seen on Red or Black cards so far. Hellbent effects are larger or an added bonus for having no cards in your hand.

Hideaway
Hideaway (This land enters the battlefield tapped. When it does, look at the top four cards of your library, exile one face down, then put the rest on the bottom of your library.
Used by: Lands
Notes: To access the exiled card, a condition must be met, much like a mini game. When it is, add mana and tap to play the exiled card without playing its mana cost.
Example: Windbrisk Heights
Land
Hideaway
T: Add W to your mana pool.
W, T: You may play the exiled card without paying its mana cost if you attacked with three or more creatures this turn.

Horsemanship
Horsemanship (This creature can’t be blocked except by creatures with horsemanship).
Used by: Creatures
Notes: The Portal: Three Kingdoms version of flying. Use Shadow or Flying instead.

Imprint
Imprint – When ~this~ enters the battlefield you may exile a [card type with/without  restrictions] from [any non-exile zone]
Used by: Artifacts
Notes: What imprint does is take the exiled card and does something itself with the characteristics of the exiled card.
Example: Extraplanar Lens – 3
Artifact
Imprint – When ~this~ enters the battlefield, you my exile target land you control.
Whenever a land with the same name as the exiled card is tapped for mana, its controller adds one mana to his of her mana pool of any type that produced.

Kicker
Kicker [Cost]: [Effect]
Used by: All non-Planeswalker spells
Example: [Effect]. If ~this~ was kicked, [Effect] instead.
Notes: The most basic of keywords. Is mostly seen as to make the effect or creature larger when the kicker is payed “Kicked”.

Kinship
Kinship – At the beginning of your upkeep, you may look at the top card of your library. If it shares a creature type with ~this~, you may reveal it. If you do, Effect]
Used by: Creatures
Notes: Ability keyword so Kinship is in italics.

Landfall
Landfall – Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, [Effect].
Used by: All non-Planeswalker permanents
Notes: Ability keyword so Landfall is in italics.

Landhome
Islandhome (This creature can’t attack unless defending player controls an Island. When you control no Islands, sacrifice ~this.)
Used by: Creatures
Notes: Abandonded keyword. Tries to simulate something that can’t live outside the water. No other basic lands used besides Island.

[Land]walk
Forestwalk (This creature is unblockable as long as defending player controls a Forest.)
Used by: Creatures
Notes: [Land] can be replaced with any type of land (Mountain, Legendary, etc…)

Lifelink
Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)
Used by: All permanents
Notes: Mostly used by creatures, but could see play on other permanents. Don’t use on instants/sorceries.

Madness
Madness [Cost] (If you discard this card, you may cast it for its madness cost instead of putting it into your graveyard.)
Used by: All spells

Modular
Modular X (This enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it. When it’s put into a graveyard, you may put its +1/+1 counters on target artifact creature.)
Used by: Artifact creatures
Notes: The starting power/toughness is 0/0

Morph
Morph [Cost] (You may cast this face down as a 2/2 creature for {3}. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)
Used by: All permanents
Notes: Do not put on Instants/Sorceries. Mostly used on creatures.

Ninjutsu
Ninjutsu [Cost] ([Cost], return an unblocked attacker you control to hand: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand tapped and attacking.)
Used by: Creatures
Notes: Currently the only creature type that has Ninjutsu is Ninja. All creatures with Ninjutsu have an triggered ability that does something when it deals combat damage to a player.

Offering
[Creature type] Offering (You may cast this card any time you could cast and instant by sacrificing a [Creature type] and paying the difference in mana costs between this and the sacrificed [Creature type]. Mana cost includes color.)
Used by: Legendary Creatures – Spirit

Persist
Persist (When this creature is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, if it had no -1/-1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a -1/-1 counter on it.)
Used by: Creatures

Phasing
Phasing (This phases in or out before you untap during each of your untap steps. While it’s phased out, it’s treated as though it doesn’t exist.)
Used by: All Permanents
Notes: Very dangerous to design, not easy to understand with the rules. Zone-change triggers don’t happen when something “Phases in or out.” Everything attached to the permanent (along with counters) phases in and out with the permanent.

Poisonous
Poisonous X (Whenever it deals combat damage to a player, that player gets three poison counters. A player with ten or more poison counters loses the game.)
Used by: Creatures
Notes: The Future Sight “Snake Cult Initiation” says combat damage so not all damage is poisonous.

Protection
Protection from [Attribute] (This [card type] can’t be blocked, targetd, dealt damage, or enchanted by anything [Attribute].)
Used by: All Permanents
Notes: Mostly used on creatures. Attributes are different aspects of cards. Various attributes can be color, card type, power/toughness, creature type, etc…)

Provoke
Provoke (When This attacks, you may have target creature defending player controls untap and block it if able.)
Used by: Creatures

Prowl
Prowl [Cost] (You may cast this for its prowl cost if you dealt combat damage to a player this turn with a [Creature Types]).
Used by: Creatures
Notes: Currently only used on Rouge creatures and spells. If a creature is a Goblin Rogue, the last part is: …this turn with a Goblin or a Rogue.

Radiance
Radiance – [Effect]
Used by: All Non-Planeswalker cards
Notes: Action keyword so Radiance is in italics. Radiance does something to the target of the ability and does the same thing that shares a color with it.
Example: Radiance – T: ~this~ deals 1 damage to target creature and each other creature that shares a color with it.

Rampage
Rampage X (Whenever this creature becomes blocked, it gets +3/+3 until end of turn for each creature blocking it beyond the first).
Used by: Creatures

Reach
Reach (This creature can block creatures with flying.)
Used by: Creatures

Retrace
Retrace (You may cast this card from your graveyard by discarding a land card in addition to paying its other costs.)
Used by: Instants/Sorceries

Recover
Recover [Cost] (When a creature is put into your graveyard from the battlefield, you may (pay) [Cost]. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, exile this card.)
Used by: Instants/Sorceries

Reinforce
Reinforce X-[Cost] ([Cost], Discard this card: Put (a) X +1/+1 counter(s) on target creature.)
Used by: All cards

Regenerate
[Cost]: Regenerate ~this~ (The next time this creature would be destroyed this turn, it isn’t/ Instead tap it, remove all damage from it, and remove it from combat.)
Used by: All Non-Planeswalker permanents

Replicate
Replicate [Cost] (When you cast this spell, copy it for each time you paid its replicate cost. You may choose new targets for the copies.)
Used by: Instanst/Sorceries
Notes: Only used by Blue/Red spells at the moment. All current Replicate costs equal their casting cost, but can be different.

Ripple
Ripple X (When you cast this spell, you may reveal the top X cards of your library. You may cast any revealed cards with the same name as this spell without paying their mana costs. Put the rest on the bottom of your library.)
Used by: All Non-Planeswalker spells.

Scry
Scry X (To scry X, look at the top X cards of your library, then put any number of them on the bottom of your library and the rest on top in any order.)
Used by: All cards
Notes: Can be used in a sentence.
Example: Choose target attacking or blocking creature. Scry 3, then reveal the top card of your library. ~this~ deals damage equal to that card’s converted mana cost to that creature.

Shadow
Shadow (This creature can block or be blocked by only creature with shadow.)
Used by: Creatures

Shroud
Shroud (This [Card type] Can’t be the target of spells or abilities)
Used by: All Permanents

Soulshift
Soulshift X (When this is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, you may return target Spirit card with converted mana cost X or less from your graveyard to your hand.)
Used by: Creatures
Notes: Used only by Spirit creatures. Most of the time, the X of Soulshift costs 1 less than the converted mana cost of the creature.

Splice
Splice onto [Card Type] [Cost] (As you cast a(n) [Card Type] spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card’s effects to that spell.)
Used by: Instants/Sorceries
Notes: Currently the only card type that can be spliced onto are Arcane spells. Currently, arcane spells are also the only ones that can have Splice. The spliced card text goes after the other card text of the original spell.

Split Second
Split Second (As long as this spell is on the stack, players can’t cast spells or activate abilities that aren’t mana abilities.)
Used by: All Spells

Storm
Storm (When you cast this spell, copy it for each spell cast before it this turn.)
Used by: Instants/Sorceries

Sunburst
Sunburst (This enters the battlefield with a charge (+1/+1) counter on it for each color of mana spent to cast it.)
Used by: Artifacts

Suspend
Suspend X-[Cost] (Rather then cast this card from your hand, pay [Cost] and exile it with X time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When the last is removed, cast it without paying its mana cost. (It has haste))
Used by: All spells

Sweep
Sweep – Return any number of [Basic land]s you control to their owner’s hand. [Effect]
Used by: Instants/Sorceries
Notes: Action keyword so Sweep is in italics. The basic land you return matches the color of the spell. The spell does something equal to the number of basic lands returned to your hand.
Example: Sweep – Return any number of Plains you control to their owner’s hand. Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each Plains returned this way.

Threshold
Threshold – As long as seven or more cards are in your graveyard, [Effect]
Used by: All non-Planeswalker cards
Notes: Threshold is used to make something bigger or an ability/effect it didn’t have until threshold has been reached.

Trample
Trample (If this creature would deal enough damage to its blockers to destory them, you may have it deal the rest of its damage to defending player or planeswalker.)
Used by: Creatures

Transfigure
Transfigure [Cost] ([Cost], Sacrifice this creature. Search your library for a creature card with the same converted mana cost as this creature and put that card onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library. Transfigure only as a sorcery.
Used by: Creatures
Notes: The creature on the battlefield version of Transmute

Transmute
Transmute [Cost] ([Cost], Discard this card. Search your library for a card with the same converted mana cost as this card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Transmute only as a sorcery.)
Used by: All spells
Notes: Currently only Blue and Black cards have had Transmute.

Unearth
Unearth [Cost] ([Cost]: Return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield. It gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step or if it would leave teh battlefield. Unearth only as a sorcery.)
Used by: Creatures
Notes: The creature version of Flashback

Vanishing
Vanishing X (This permanent enters the battlefield with X time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter from it. When the last is removed, sacrifice it.)
Used by: All non-Planeswalker permanents
Notes: “Fixed” version of Fading.

Vigilance
Vigilance (Attacking doesn’t cause this creature to tap.)
Used by: Creatures

Wither
Wither (It deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters.)
Used by: All non-planeswalker spells