Cycling
From Magic: The Gathering
[edit] The Mechanic
[edit] Simplified
Cycling is a mechanic that, when on a card, allows you to discard that card and pay a certain amount of mana to draw another card. Cycling cards sometimes have an effect when cycled; this effect is often a weaker version of the card's normal effect.
[edit] In Depth
(from comprehensive rulebook) 502.18. Cycling
502.18a Cycling is an activated ability that functions only while the card with cycling is in a player’s hand. “Cycling [cost]” means “[Cost], Discard this card: Draw a card.”
502.18b Although the cycling ability is playable only if the card is in a player’s hand, it continues to exist while the object is in play and in all other zones. Therefore objects with cycling will be affected by effects that depend on objects having one or more activated abilities.
502.18c Some cards with cycling have abilities that trigger when they’re cycled. “When you cycle [this card]” means “When you discard [this card] to pay a cycling cost.” These abilities trigger from the graveyard.
502.18d Typecycling is a variant of the cycling ability. “[Subtype]cycling [cost]” means “[Cost], Discard this card: Search your library for a [subtype] card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.”
502.18e Any cards that trigger when a player cycles a card will trigger when a card is discarded to pay a typecycling cost. Any effect that stops players from cycling cards will stop players from playing cards’ typecycling abilities.
