801.1.
Limited range of influence is an option that can be applied to most multiplayer games. It‘s
always used in the Emperor variant (see rule 809), and it‘s often used for games involving five or
more players.
801.2.
A player‘s range of influence is the maximum distance from that player, measured in player
seats, that the player can affect. Players within that many seats of the player are within that player‘s
range of influence. Objects controlled by players within a player‘s range of influence are also within
that player‘s range of influence. Range of influence covers spells, abilities, effects, damage dealing,
attacking, making choices, and winning the game.
801.2a
The most commonly chosen limited ranges of influence are 1 seat and 2 seats. Different
players may have different ranges of influence.
Example: A range of influence of 1 means that only you and the players seated directly
next to you are within your range of influence.
Example: A range of influence of 2 means that you and the two players to your left and
the two players to your right are within your range of influence.
801.2b
A player is always within his or her own range of influence.
801.2c
The particular players within each player‘s range of influence are determined as each turn
begins.
Example: In a game with a range of influence of 1, Alex is seated to the left of Rob, and
Carissa is seated to the right of Rob. Carissa is not in Alex?s range of influence. If Rob
leaves the game, Carissa will enter Alex?s range of influence at the start of the next turn.
801.2d
An object is within a player‘s range of influence if it‘s controlled by that player or by
another player within that many seats of that player.
801.3.
Creatures can attack only opponents within their controller‘s range of influence or planeswalkers
controlled by those opponents. If no opponents are within a player‘s range of influence, creatures
that player controls can‘t attack.
801.4.
Objects and players outside a player‘s range of influence can‘t be the targets of spells or abilities
that player controls.
801.5.
Some cards require players to make choices. These cards work differently when the limited
range of influence option is used.
801.5a
If a player is asked to choose an object or player, he or she must choose one within his or her
range of influence.
Example: In a game with a range of influence of 1, Alex is seated to the left of Rob. Alex
activates the ability of Cuombajj Witches, which reads, “Cuombajj Witches deals 1
damage to target creature or player and 1 damage to target creature or player of an
opponent?s choice,” targeting Rob and choosing Rob as the opponent who picks the
other target. Rob must choose a target that?s in both his range of influence and in the
range of influence of the controller of Cuombajj Witches. He must therefore choose
himself, Alex, or a creature controlled by either himself or Alex.
801.5b
If a player is asked to choose between one or more options (and not between one or more
objects or players), he or she can choose between those options even if those options refer to
objects or players outside the player‘s range of influence.
Example: Alex, who has a range of influence of 2, is seated to the left of Rob, and
Carissa, who has a range of influence of 1, is seated to the right of Rob. Alex casts a
spell that reads, “An opponent chooses one — You draw 2 cards; or each creature you
control gets +2/+2 until end of turn,” and chooses Carissa to make that choice. Carissa
can choose the mode even though Alex is out of her range.
801.5c
If an effect requires a choice and there‘s no player who can make that choice within its
controller‘s range of influence, the closest appropriate player to its controller‘s left makes that
choice.
Example: In an Emperor game in which all players have range of influence 1, an
emperor casts Fact or Fiction, which reads, “Reveal the top five cards of your library.
An opponent separates those cards into two piles. Put one pile into your hand and the
other into your graveyard.” Since no opponent is within the emperor?s range of
influence, the nearest opponent to the emperor?s left separates the cards into piles.
801.6.
A player can‘t activate the activated abilities of an object outside of his or her range of influence.
801.7.
A triggered ability doesn‘t trigger unless its trigger event happens entirely within the range of
influence of its source‘s controller.
Example: In a game in which all players have range of influence 1, Alex is seated to the left
of Rob. Rob controls two Auras attached to Alex?s Runeclaw Bear: One with the trigger
condition “Whenever enchanted creature becomes blocked,” and one with the trigger
condition “Whenever enchanted creature becomes blocked by a creature.” Alex?s Runeclaw
Bear attacks the player to Alex?s left and becomes blocked. The ability of Rob?s first Aura
triggers because the entire event (Runeclaw Bear becomes blocked) happens within Rob?s
range of influence. The ability of Rob?s second Aura doesn?t trigger, however, because that
event includes the blocking creature, which is out of Rob?s range.
801.7a
If a trigger event includes an object moving out of or into a player‘s range of influence, use
the game state before or after the event as appropriate to determine whether the triggered ability
will trigger. See rule 603.6.
Example: Carissa and Alex are outside each other?s range of influence. Carissa
controls a Runeclaw Bear owned by Alex and they each control an Extractor Demon, a
creature which reads, in part, “Whenever another creature leaves the battlefield, you
may have target player put the top two cards of his or her library into his or her
graveyard.” The Runeclaw Bear is destroyed and is put into Alex?s graveyard. The
ability of Alex?s Extractor Demon doesn?t trigger because the leaves-the-battlefield
event was outside Alex?s range of influence. The ability of Carissa?s Extractor Demon
does trigger, even though the creature is going to a graveyard outside her range,
because the leaves-the-battlefield event was within her range.
801.8.
An Aura can‘t enchant an object or player outside its controller‘s range of influence. If an Aura
is attached to an illegal object or player, the Aura is put into its owner‘s graveyard as a state-based
action. See rule 704.
801.9.
An Equipment can‘t equip an object outside its controller‘s range of influence, and a
Fortification can‘t fortify an object outside its controller‘s range of influence. If an Equipment or
Fortification is attached to an illegal permanent, it becomes unattached from that permanent but
remains on the battlefield. This is a state-based action. See rule 704.
801.10.
Spells and abilities can‘t affect objects or players outside their controller‘s range of influence.
The parts of the effect that attempt to affect an out-of-range object or player will do nothing. The
rest of the effect will work normally.
Example: In a six-player game in which each player has range of influence 1, Alex casts
Pyroclasm, which reads, “Pyroclasm deals 2 damage to each creature.” Pyroclasm deals 2
damage to each creature controlled by Alex, the player to Alex?s left, and the player to
Alex?s right. No other creatures are dealt damage.
801.11.
If a spell or ability requires information from the game, it gets only information from within its
controller‘s range of influence. It doesn‘t see objects or events outside its controller‘s range of
influence.
Example: In a six-player game where each player has range of influence 1, Alex controls
Coat of Arms, which reads, “Each creature gets +1/+1 for each other creature on the
battlefield that shares at least one creature type with it.” Coat of Arms will boost Alex?s
creatures based only on what creatures are controlled by Alex, the player to Alex?s left, and
the player to Alex?s right. It won?t take other creatures into account.
Example: In the same game, Rob is sitting to the right of Alex. Coat of Arms will boost
Rob?s creatures based on what creatures are controlled by players within Alex?s range of
influence, including the player sitting to Alex?s left, who?s out of Rob?s range of influence.
801.12.
The «legend rule» (see rule 704.5k) applies to a permanent only if other legendary permanents
with the same name are within its controller‘s range of influence.
Example: Alex has range of influence 1, and Carissa has range of influence 2. Rob sits
between them. If Alex controls a legendary permanent and Carissa puts a legendary
permanent with the same name onto the battlefield, only the one controlled by Carissa will
be put into a graveyard.
801.13.
The «world rule» (see rule 704.5m) applies to a permanent only if other world permanents are
within its controller‘s range of influence.
801.14.
The «planeswalker uniqueness rule» (see rule 704.5j) applies to a planeswalker only if other
planeswalkers with the same planeswalker type are within its controller‘s range of influence.
801.15.
Replacement and prevention effects watch for a particular event to happen and then completely
or partially replace that event. The limited range of influence option can cause the modified event to
contain instructions that can‘t be carried out, in which case the player simply ignores the impossible
instructions. See rule 614, «Replacement Effects,» and rule 615, «Prevention Effects.»
801.15a
If a replacement effect tries to cause a spell or ability to affect an object or player outside
its controller‘s range of influence, that portion of the event does nothing.
Example: Alex casts Lava Axe (“Lava Axe deals 5 damage to target player”) targeting
Rob. In response, Rob casts Captain?s Maneuver (“The next X damage that would be
dealt to target creature or player this turn is dealt to another target creature or player
instead”) with X equal to 3, targeting Carissa. Carissa isn?t in Alex?s range of influence.
When Lava Axe resolves, it deals 2 damage to Rob and no damage to Carissa.
801.15b
If a spell or ability creates an effect that prevents damage that would be dealt by a source, it
can affect only sources within the spell or ability‘s controller‘s range of influence. If a spell or
ability creates an effect that prevents damage that would be dealt to a creature or player, it can
affect only creatures and players within the spell or ability‘s controller‘s range of influence. If a
spell or ability creates an effect that prevents damage, but neither the source nor the would-be
recipient of the damage is specified, it prevents damage only if both the source and recipient of
that damage are within the spell or ability‘s controller‘s range of influence.
Example: Rob is within Alex?s range of influence, but Carissa is not. Alex controls an
enchantment that says, “Prevent all damage that would be dealt by creatures.” Carissa
attacks Rob with a creature. The creature deals combat damage to Rob.
Example: Rob is within Alex?s range of influence, but Carissa is not. Carissa casts
Lightning Blast (“Lightning Blast deals 4 damage to target creature or player”)
targeting Rob. In response, Alex casts Mending Hands (“Prevent the next 4 damage that
would be dealt to target creature or player this turn”) targeting Rob. The damage to
Rob is prevented.
Example: Rob is within Alex?s range of influence, but Carissa is not. Carissa attacks
Rob with a creature, and Rob blocks with a creature. Alex casts Fog (“Prevent all
combat damage that would be dealt this turn.”) Carissa and Rob?s creatures deal
combat damage to each other.
801.16.
If an effect states that a player wins the game, all of that player‘s opponents within his or her
range of influence lose the game instead.
801.17.
If the effect of a spell or ability states that the game is a draw, the game is a draw for that spell
or ability‘s controller and all players within his or her range of influence. They leave the game. All
remaining players continue to play the game.
801.18.
If the game somehow enters a «loop» of mandatory actions, repeating a sequence of events with
no way to stop, the game is a draw for each player who controls an object that‘s involved in that
loop, as well as for each player within the range of influence of any of those players. They leave the
game. All remaining players continue to play the game.
801.19.
Effects that restart the game (see rule 714) are exempt from the limited range of influence
option. All players in the game will be involved in the new game.
801.20.
In multiplayer Planechase games other than Grand Melee games, plane cards are exempt from
the limited range of influence option. Their abilities, and the effects of those abilities, affect all
applicable objects and players in the game. See rule 901, «Planechase.»