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If any players wish to reveal a card with a companion ability that they own from outside the game, they may do so. A player may reveal no more than one card this way, and they may do so only if their deck fulfills the condition of that card’s companion ability. The revealed card remains outside the game. (See rule 702.139, “Companion.”)

A player who has chosen a companion may pay {3} to put that card from outside the game into their hand. This is a special action. A player can take this action any time they have priority and the stack is empty during a main phase of their turn, but only if they haven’t done so yet this game. (See rule 702.139, “Companion.”)

Intimidate

Intimidate is an evasion ability.

A creature with intimidate can’t be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or creatures that share a color with it. (See rule 509, “Declare Blockers Step.”)

Multiple instances of intimidate on the same creature are redundant.

Afflict

Afflict is a triggered ability. “Afflict N” means “Whenever this creature becomes blocked, defending player loses N life.”

If a creature has multiple instances of afflict, each triggers separately.

Ascend

Ascend on an instant or sorcery spell represents a spell ability. It means “If you control ten or more permanents and you don’t have the city’s blessing, you get the city’s blessing for the rest of the game.”

Ascend on a permanent represents a static ability. It means “Any time you control ten or more permanents and you don’t have the city’s blessing, you get the city’s blessing for the rest of the game.”

The city’s blessing is a designation that has no rules meaning other than to act as a marker that other rules and effects can identify. Any number of players may have the city’s blessing at the same time.

After a player gets the city’s blessing, continuous effects are reapplied before the game checks to see if the game state or preceding events have matched any trigger conditions.

Assist

Assist is a static ability that modifies the rules of paying for the spell with assist (see rules 601.2g-h). If the total cost to cast a spell with assist includes a generic mana component, before you activate mana abilities while casting it, you may choose another player. That player has a chance to activate mana abilities. Once that player chooses not to activate any more mana abilities, you have a chance to activate mana abilities. Before you begin to pay the total cost of the spell, the player you chose may pay for any amount of the generic mana in the spell’s total cost.

Jump-Start

Jump-start appears on some instants and sorceries. It represents two static abilities: one that functions while the card is in a player’s graveyard and another that functions while the card is on the stack. “Jump-start” means “You may cast this card from your graveyard if the resulting spell is an instant or sorcery spell by discarding a card as an additional cost to cast it” and “If this spell was cast using its jump-start ability, exile this card instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack.” Casting a spell using its jump-start ability follows the rules for paying additional costs in rules 601.2b and 601.2f–h.

Mentor

Mentor is a triggered ability. “Mentor” means “Whenever this creature attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on target attacking creature with power less than this creature’s power.”

If a creature has multiple instances of mentor, each triggers separately.

An ability that triggers whenever a creature mentors another creature triggers whenever a mentor ability whose source is the first creature and whose target is the second creature resolves.

Afterlife

Afterlife is a triggered ability. “Afterlife N” means “When this permanent is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, create N 1/1 white and black Spirit creature tokens with flying.”

If a permanent has multiple instances of afterlife, each triggers separately.

Riot

Riot is a static ability. “Riot” means “You may have this permanent enter with an additional +1/+1 counter on it. If you don’t, it gains haste.”

If a permanent has multiple instances of riot, each works separately.

Spectacle

Spectacle is a static ability that functions on the stack. “Spectacle [cost]” means “You may pay [cost] rather than pay this spell’s mana cost if an opponent lost life this turn.” Casting a spell for its spectacle cost follows the rules for paying alternative costs in rules 601.2b and 601.2f–h.

Escape

Escape represents a static ability that functions while the card with escape is in a player’s graveyard. “Escape [cost]” means “You may cast this card from your graveyard by paying [cost] rather than paying its mana cost.” Casting a spell using its escape ability follows the rules for paying alternative costs in rules 601.2b and 601.2f–h.

A spell or permanent “escaped” if that spell or the spell that became that permanent as it resolved was cast from a graveyard with an escape ability.

An ability that reads “[This permanent] escapes with [one or more of a kind of counter]” means “If this permanent escaped, it enters with [those counters]” That ability may have a triggered ability linked to it that triggers “When it enters this way.” (See rule 603.11.) Such a triggered ability triggers when that permanent enters the battlefield after its replacement effect was applied, even if that replacement effect had no effect.

An ability that reads “[This permanent] escapes with [ability]” means “If this permanent escaped, it has [ability].”

Companion

Companion is a keyword ability that functions outside the game. It’s written as “Companion—[Condition].” Before the game begins, you may reveal one card you own from outside the game with a companion ability whose condition is fulfilled by your starting deck. (See rule 103.2b.) Once during the game, any time you have priority and the stack is empty, but only during a main phase of your turn, you may pay {3} and put that card into your hand. This is a special action that doesn’t use the stack (see rule 116.2g). This is a change from previous rules.

If a companion ability refers to your starting deck, it refers to your deck after you’ve set aside any sideboard cards. In a Commander game, this is also before you’ve set aside your commander.

Once you take the special action and put the card with companion into your hand, it remains in the game until the game ends.

Cards can enter Commander games from outside the game via the companion special action.