Can You Exile an Exiled Card? Unraveling the Mysteries of the Exile Zone in MTG
Fast answer first. Then use the tabs or video for more detail.
- Watch the video explanation below for a faster overview.
- Game mechanics may change with updates or patches.
- Use this block to get the short answer without scrolling the whole page.
- Read the FAQ section if the article has one.
- Use the table of contents to jump straight to the detailed section you need.
- Watch the video first, then skim the article for specifics.
The short, definitive answer is no, you cannot exile an exiled card. The exile zone in Magic: The Gathering is designed as a holding area, often a one-way trip for cards removed from the battlefield or other zones. Once a card is in exile, it’s considered outside the normal flow of the game and, barring specific card abilities, cannot be moved, manipulated, or exiled again. This is a fundamental aspect of the exile zone’s functionality. It acts as a near-permanent removal space, contrasting with the graveyard, which is a more readily accessible and interactable zone.
Understanding the Exile Zone
The exile zone serves as a distinct area for cards that are removed from play but not sent to the graveyard. This zone is intended to provide a form of removal that is more difficult to reverse than discarding or destroying a card. Unlike the graveyard, where cards can be brought back with spells like Reanimate, cards in exile generally require specific cards or abilities to be interacted with. The exile zone is a public zone, meaning that all players can see what cards are there, unless they were exiled face down by a specific effect.
The Purpose of Exile
Exile acts as a more permanent form of removal, preventing recursion of problematic cards. This is especially important for cards with potent graveyard interactions. It’s also used as a mechanic for cards that are meant to be “removed from the game” or used for specific abilities and game effects.
Key Differences from Other Zones
The exile zone operates differently from the graveyard, hand, or battlefield. Here’s a quick comparison:
- Graveyard: Cards in the graveyard can be easily retrieved with various spells and abilities.
- Hand: Cards in your hand are typically used to cast spells or activate abilities.
- Battlefield: Cards on the battlefield are directly involved in gameplay.
- Exile: Cards in exile are generally removed from the game unless a specific effect brings them back.
The Limitation of Re-Exiling
The fundamental concept of the exile zone is its isolation and removal from the game’s normal flow. This is why there are few cards that directly interact with exile, and even fewer that allow the exiling of a card that is already exiled. Attempting to exile a card already in exile is essentially a redundant action. Once a card has been exiled, it resides in a unique state, beyond the reach of further exiling effects. This is a core rule in MTG, designed to maintain game balance and prevent infinite loops or broken interactions.
Card Abilities and Exile
While most abilities cannot exile a card already in exile, there are effects that can target exiled cards. Cards like Pull from Eternity can bring exiled cards back into the graveyard (and sometimes even into play). However, these effects do not exile the card; they move it to another zone. There’s a crucial distinction to be made between manipulating a card from the exile zone and re-exiling it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Exile in MTG
Here are 15 frequently asked questions about the exile zone, further elucidating its rules and interactions:
1. Can exiled cards return to the battlefield?
Yes, some specific cards and abilities can bring exiled cards back to the battlefield. However, when a card returns from exile, it’s considered a new object on the battlefield, losing any previous enchantments, counters, or effects. It also enters the battlefield as if it was just played, so a creature would have summoning sickness.
2. Are exiled cards removed from the game entirely?
While the exile zone is intended to provide a more permanent removal, it’s not a complete removal from the game’s rules. Specific effects can retrieve exiled cards. The term ‘removed from the game’ used to be a different area but has been replaced by exile.
3. Do exiled cards keep their counters?
No. Cards that are moved to exile do not retain any counters they had previously. They also don’t gain any counters upon entering the exile zone.
4. Can you target exiled cards?
You generally cannot target exiled cards with normal spells or abilities that target permanents or cards in other zones. You can only target exiled cards with effects that specifically reference them, such as Pull from Eternity.
5. Does hexproof prevent a card from being exiled?
Hexproof does not prevent exile if the effect does not target. If a card says “exile each creature” that doesn’t target, whereas Swords to Plowshares targets. Hexproof only prevents a creature from being the target of an opponent’s spells or abilities.
6. Can indestructible permanents be exiled?
Yes, indestructible permanents can be exiled. Indestructible only prevents destruction, and exile is not destruction. Indestructible creatures can still be removed through means like sacrifice, the Legend Rule, or exile.
7. Do you have to reveal exiled cards?
Yes, the exile zone is a public zone, and exiled cards are visible to all players unless specifically placed face down by an effect.
8. What happens when a card is exiled?
When a card is exiled, it goes to a separate area and is effectively removed from the game unless a counterspell prevents the exiling effect or a specific effect brings it back.
9. Can you suspend a card in exile?
No, you can only suspend a card from your hand. If the card was exiled with suspend, it cannot be suspended again. The suspend ability is only usable when the card is in your hand.
10. Do exiled cards lose enchantments?
Yes, if an enchanted card is exiled, the enchantment would go to the graveyard unless it has the bestow ability and is going from creature to enchantment.
11. What is the Pull from Eternity rule?
Pull from Eternity is a spell that allows you to target a card in the exile zone and move it to your graveyard. If Pull from Eternity affects a suspended card, it loses its time counters and is no longer suspended.
12. Do cards from exile have summoning sickness?
Yes, any creature that returns from exile to the battlefield will have summoning sickness, like any creature summoned to the battlefield. It is treated as a completely new permanent.
13. Can you exile a planeswalker before they use an ability?
You can’t. They have the first chance to play something after the planeswalker resolves. If their ability is put on the stack, it will resolve even if the planeswalker is removed.
14. Does a shield counter stop exile?
No, shield counters only prevent damage or destruction effects. They don’t prevent the creature from being exiled, returned to your hand, or sacrificed.
15. Can you sacrifice a permanent with indestructible?
Yes, you can sacrifice a permanent with indestructible. Indestructible doesn’t prevent sacrifice, and sacrifice isn’t considered destruction in the game rules.
Conclusion
In summary, while exile is a powerful removal mechanic, it is also subject to specific rules. Understanding that you cannot exile an exiled card is crucial for playing Magic: The Gathering effectively. The exile zone is designed to offer a unique form of removal and card interaction, separate from other zones like the graveyard, battlefield, or hand. While some cards can interact with exiled cards, re-exiling them isn’t part of the game’s design. It is important to pay close attention to card text as always to know exactly how cards can interact with each other.