One-Shot Effects

From MTG Salvation Wiki

From the Comprehensive Rules 417. One-Shot Effects 417.1. A one-shot effect does something just once and doesn’t have a duration. Examples include damage dealing, destruction of permanents, and moving objects between zones. 417.2. Some one-shot effects instruct a player to do something later in the game (usually at a specific time) rather than when they resolve. This kind of effect actually creates a new ability that waits to be triggered. (See rule 404.4.)

[edit] Examples

Some examples of one-shot effects include the following:

• Direct damage or burn, characterized by the card Lightning Bolt
• Lifegain, characterized by Healing Salve
• Land destruction, as represented by cards such as Sinkhole
• Fast mana sources, such as Dark Ritual or Seething Song
• Pump spells, such as Giant Growth
• Creature removal in the forms of Terror and Swords to Plowshares

[edit] Cantrips

Some of these one-shot effects also "replace" themselves in the form of cantrips. Often, a card will have a slightly heightened mana cost in exchange for the phrase "Draw a card" in the spell's text box. This allows little to no loss, and even the possibility of gaining card advantage and tempo.

[edit] Slowtrips

Slowtrips are merely delayed cantrips that were introduced in Ice Age and Coldsnap. While they do not have the "immediate" effect of a cantrip, they still allow the card being played to replace itself. The text associated with a slowtrip is "Draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep."