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If an effect allows a player to cast a spell with certain qualities as though it had flash, that player may consider any choices to be made during that spell’s proposal that may cause that spell’s qualities to change. If any such choices could cause that effect to apply, that player may begin to cast that spell as though it had flash.

If an effect allows a player to cast a spell as though it had flash only if an alternative or additional cost is paid, that player may begin to cast that spell as though it had flash.

If a spell would have flash only if certain conditions are met, its controller may begin to cast that spell as though it had flash if those conditions are met.

Once a player has begun casting a spell that had flash because certain conditions were met or that could be cast as though it had flash because certain conditions were met (see 601.3d), they may continue to cast that spell as though it had flash even if those conditions stop being met.

If two effects state that a player may (or a creature can) do the same thing “as though” different conditions were true, both conditions could apply. If one “as though” effect satisfies the requirements for another “as though” effect, then both effects will apply.

Flash

Flash is a static ability that functions in any zone from which you could play the card it’s on. “Flash” means “You may play this card any time you could cast an instant.”

Multiple instances of flash on the same object are redundant.

Playtest cards aren’t legal for play in any tournament format other than Mystery Booster Limited formats. On the other hand, we expect they will spice up a wide variety of non-tournament games (as long as everyone’s on the same page about using them!).

This split card has three names. If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose one of those names, but not all of them (though you might want to write it down and not just say it out loud).

Playtest cards use a modified version of game symbols, such as {T} and {W}. These modified symbols should be treated as the standard symbols during play.

For many playtest cards, you’ll need to make a generous assumption that basic game rules would be updated to allow them to work. The Mystery Booster 2 Playtest Card Notes section (reproduced here in individual Gatherer rulings) provides guidance for fitting these cards into the existing rules structure.

If an effect allows you to cast a spell with certain characteristics, consider only the characteristics of the spell you’re casting. For example, if an effect allows you to cast an instant or sorcery spell with mana value 2 or less from among cards in your graveyard, you could cast There or They’re this way, but There is right out.

Each split card is a single card. For example, if you discard a split card, you’ve discarded one card. If an effect counts the number of instant and sorcery cards in your graveyard, There // They’re // Their counts once, not three times.

To cast this split card, choose one of its thirds to cast. The characteristics of the thirds you didn’t cast are ignored while the spell is on the stack.

This split card’s characteristics are a combination of its three thirds while it’s not on the stack. For example, There // They’re // Their has a mana value of 6 while it’s in your library. If an effect allows you to search your library for a card with mana value 4 or less, you can’t find There // They’re // Their.