201.1.
The name of a card is printed on its upper left corner.
201.2.
Two objects have the same name if the English versions of their names are identical.
201.3.
If an effect instructs a player to name a card, the player must choose the name of a card that
exists in the Oracle card reference (see rule 108.1) and is legal in the format of the game the player
is playing. (See rule 100.6.) If the player wants to name a split card, the player must name both
halves of the split card. (See rule 708.) If the player wants to name a flip card‘s alternative name,
the player may do so. (See rule 709.) If the player wants to name the back face of a double-faced
card, the player may do so. (See rule 711.) A player may not choose the name of a token unless it‘s
also the name of a card.
201.4.
Text that refers to the object it‘s on by name means just that particular object and not any other
objects with that name, regardless of any name changes caused by game effects.
201.4a
If an ability‘s effect grants another ability to an object, and that second ability refers to that
first ability‘s source by name, the name refers only to the specific object that is that first
ability‘s source, not to any other object with the same name.
Example: Gutter Grime has an ability that reads “Whenever a nontoken creature you
control dies, put a slime counter on Gutter Grime, then put a green Ooze creature token
onto the battlefield with „This creature?s power and toughness are each equal to the
number of slime counters on Gutter Grime.?” The ability granted to the token only looks
at the Gutter Grime that created the token, not at any other Gutter Grime on the
battlefield.
201.4b
If an ability of an object refers to that object by name, and an object with a different name
gains that ability, each instance of the first name in the gained ability that refers to the first
object by name should be treated as the second name.
Example: Quicksilver Elemental says, in part, “
: Quicksilver Elemental gains all
activated abilities of target creature until end of turn.” If it gains an ability that says
“
: Regenerate Cudgel Troll,” activating that ability will regenerate Quicksilver
Elemental, not the Cudgel Troll it gained the ability from.
Example: Glacial Ray is an instant with “splice onto Arcane” that says “Glacial Ray
deals 2 damage to target creature or player.” If it?s spliced onto a Kodama?s Reach,
that Kodama?s Reach deals 2 damage to the target creature or player.
Example: Dimir Doppelganger says “
: Exile target creature card from a
graveyard. Dimir Doppelganger becomes a copy of that card and gains this ability.”
Dimir Doppelganger?s ability is activated targeting a Runeclaw Bear card. The
Doppelganger becomes a copy of Runeclaw Bear and gains an ability that should be
treated as saying “
: Exile target creature card from a graveyard. Runeclaw
Bear becomes a copy of that card and gains this ability.”
201.4c
Text printed on some legendary cards refers to that card by a shortened version of its name.
This occurs only on a second reference or later; first references always use the card‘s full name.
Instances of a card‘s shortened name used in this manner are treated as though they used the
card‘s full name.
201.5.
If an ability of an object uses a phrase such as «this [something]» to identify an object, where
[something] is a characteristic, it is referring to that particular object, even if it isn‘t the appropriate
characteristic at the time.
Example: An ability reads “Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Destroy that
creature at the beginning of the next end step.” The ability will destroy the object it gave
+2/+2 to even if that object isn?t a creature at the beginning of the next end step.