When Can You Discard a Card in Magic: The Gathering?

The act of discarding cards in Magic: The Gathering (MTG) is a fundamental mechanic, but it’s not something you can do willy-nilly. Unlike some other card games, you can’t just decide to throw away a card whenever you feel like it. Discarding is a controlled action, dictated by specific rules and card effects. So, to answer the core question directly: you can only discard a card in MTG when instructed by a game rule, an ability, or to pay a cost. Let’s delve into the specifics of each of these scenarios.

The Three Pillars of Discarding

1. Game Rules: The Cleanup Step

The most common way players discard cards is during their cleanup step. This occurs at the very end of your turn, after all other phases. The maximum hand size in MTG is normally seven cards. If you have more than seven cards in your hand at the beginning of your cleanup step, you must discard cards until you have seven or fewer. This is a mandatory action, not optional.

2. Card Abilities: Forced Discard

Numerous cards in MTG have abilities that force players to discard. These abilities can be found on creature cards, sorceries, instants, enchantments, and more. They often target an opponent, making them a powerful way to disrupt an opponent’s strategy. Here are some common examples:

• Targeted Discard: Cards like Thoughtseize and Duress specifically target an opponent and force them to discard a card of a particular type, often chosen by the player using the ability.
• Global Discard: Effects that force all players to discard cards simultaneously, like Wheel of Fortune, can quickly change the course of a game.
• Conditional Discard: Some abilities trigger a discard condition based on other actions, like “Whenever you cast a spell, discard a card”.
• Self-Discard: Some cards require you to discard a card as part of an activation cost or to benefit from its effects, like Rummaging Goblin.

3. Paying Costs: The Price of Power

Some card abilities require you to discard a card as part of the activation cost. This differs from forced discard abilities in that you are voluntarily discarding the card to activate that effect. The best way to understand this is to imagine a trade off – you are giving up a card in your hand to gain something, whether that’s card draw, direct damage, or some other beneficial effect. For example, a card might read, “Discard a card: Draw two cards.” In this case, you choose to discard one card to draw two.

Understanding Discard Mechanics

It’s crucial to note that discarding a card is specifically moving a card from your hand to your graveyard. The player discarding the card gets to choose which card they will discard unless specified by the ability, such as “Discard a card at random”. Some cards might have additional effects when you discard them or may trigger other abilities, adding layers of strategy to discard mechanics. It’s also important to remember that discarding is distinct from sacrificing, which involves moving a permanent from the battlefield to the graveyard.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I discard a card at any time?

No. You can only discard a card when instructed to do so by a game rule (hand size at the end of your turn), a card ability, or as part of paying a cost. You can’t just arbitrarily discard a card whenever you want.

2. What happens if I’m forced to discard but have no cards in hand?

If you are forced to discard a card but have no cards in your hand, you simply don’t discard anything. You discard as many cards as you can, which is zero in this case, and the effect ends.

3. Does discarding a card trigger effects that care about cards going to the graveyard?

Yes, unless stated otherwise, cards discarded from your hand go to your graveyard, and that movement triggers any effects that check for cards going to the graveyard.

4. Can I choose which card to discard?

Yes, when you’re told to discard, you get to choose which card(s) to discard unless the effect dictates otherwise (such as a “random discard”).

5. Does sacrificing count as discarding?

No, sacrificing and discarding are different actions. Sacrificing involves moving a permanent from the battlefield to the graveyard, while discarding involves moving a card from your hand to the graveyard.

6. If I discard a land card, can I play it again this turn?

Generally, no, unless a card’s specific ability allows you to do so. Some cards enable you to play discarded land cards, but this is not a standard rule.

7. What happens if I discard my hand of zero cards?

You can discard a hand of zero cards. It means you are discarding as many cards as you can, which is nothing in this case. Discard abilities that look for a card actually leaving the hand won’t trigger if you discard an empty hand.

8. Can I discard a card from the battlefield?

No, you cannot “discard” cards from the battlefield. If you want to remove a permanent from the battlefield, you need to “sacrifice” it, “destroy” it or some other method.

9. How do I perform a “random discard”?

Common methods include shuffling your hand face-down and randomly picking a card or fanning your hand out and having another player choose one.

10. Can I pick up a card from the discard pile?

Typically, you cannot freely pick up cards from the discard pile unless a card specifically allows you to. Some cards let you take a card from the graveyard, but this is not a general game rule.

11. What is the hand size limit in MTG?

The maximum hand size in MTG is normally seven cards. You discard down to seven cards in your cleanup step if you have more.

12. Does discarding a card to pay a cost mean I have triggered a discard ability?

Yes, discarding a card to pay a cost is a discard event and may trigger abilities that react to discards. However, the discarding is not a direct result of a discard ability, but rather a cost you have chosen to pay.

13. What happens if my hand is empty in my draw step?

Even if your hand is empty, you must still draw a card during your draw step. If you can’t draw a card from your library, you lose the game.

14. Can I discard my hand to draw in Commander?

Some effects in Commander, like certain cards, allow you to discard your hand and draw a new set of cards. However, this is not a standard rule and needs to be a card effect.

15. What does it mean to “discard your hand”?

Discarding your hand means moving all of the cards in your hand to the graveyard, regardless of how many cards are actually in your hand. Even if there are zero cards in your hand, you still discard your hand (though no card has actually changed places).

Conclusion

Understanding when and how to discard cards is crucial for success in Magic: The Gathering. It’s a mechanic that interacts with many other parts of the game, from hand management to graveyard interactions. Knowing the rules and intricacies of discarding can significantly impact your strategy and give you a competitive edge in your next game of MTG. By mastering the different contexts in which discarding can occur, you can better control the game and outmaneuver your opponents.