Power/Toughness

Power and toughness are characteristics unique to creatures in all Magic zones. Colloquially they are known as statistics (stats), or size, the latter being referred to in the reminder text for Prototype.
==Description==
The values for power and toughness are denoted by a pair of numbers in the lower right corner of a creature card. A creature with higher power than toughness is considered offensive or aggressive. A creature with the same power and toughness is considered balanced, or "square." A creature with lower power than its toughness is considered defensive.
===Power===
Power is the first number printed before the slash on the lower right-hand corner of creature cards. This is the amount of damage it deals in combat to the opposing creature's toughness, the opposing player's life total, or the opposing planeswalker's loyalty. 
===Toughness===
Toughness is the number printed after the slash at the bottom right corner of a creature. It is the amount of damage needed to destroy it. If the number becomes equal to or less than 0 at any time, it is put into its owner's graveyard as a state-based action.
==Base values and modifiers==
Various abilities in Magic affect the power and toughness of creatures. 
===Base power and toughness===
Magic 2015 introduced a templating change to cards that set a creature's power and toughness to a specific value. The term base power and toughness makes it clearer that other continuous effects that modify power and toughness, such as the ones created by <c>Giant Growth</c> or a +1/+1 counter, apply after the creature's power and toughness are changed.
In 2024 Wizards of the Coast introduced the concept of base power and base toughness counters on the Mystery Booster 2 test card . These counters modify the base value of a creature's stats in the same way as a spell, ability or Aura.
===Variable values===
Some cards have variable power and/or toughness, denoted by asterisks (e.g. */*). For example, <c>Multani, Maro-Sorcerer</c>'s power and toughness are each equal to the total number of cards in all players' hands. These cards all carry a characteristic-defining ability which functions in all zones.
During Dominaria, this template was experimentally replaced by a base stat of 0 with bonuses. <c>Multani, Yavimaya's Avatar</c>, <c>Shanna, Sisay's Legacy</c>, <c>Tempest Djinn</c> and <c>Karn, Scion of Urza</c>'s tokens were recipients of this format change. A big difference is that the card will be a 0/0 in the graveyard, which is relevant when tutoring for or reanimating creatures. A reverse case was found in <c>Nighthawk Scavenger</c>, where the simple option of a +X/+0 boost was replaced with the clunkier "1+* power" to avoid the same effect. The change seemed to be only temporary, as the next time a new variable star notation was printed was during Guilds of Ravnica with <c>Crackling Drake</c>, which could easily have been templated like Tempest Djinn. That said, the "0/0 with a boost" returned in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, on the backs of some Saga DFCs. 
X/X can be found as part of an effect, for example, an effect that puts an X/X token into play or gives +X/+X to some creature. In this case, X is a placeholder that refers to a value computed elsewhere as part of the rules text of the card. Printed cards don't have X/X. The only things with power/toughness of X/X are token creatures like those created by <c>Marath, Will of the Wild</c> or <c>Promise of Power</c>. X is "set in stone" once the spell is cast/resolved, while * is based on some form of derived information about the game state.
"Creatureball", variable creatures that enter the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters, are primary in green, and tertiary in black and red.
===Negative value===
The first negative stat creature was <c>Spinal Parasite</c>, with Sunburst giving it relevant stats. The -1/-1 ensures it only gets off two activations at most naturally. 
The futureshifted <c>Char-Rumbler</c> from Future Sight introduced "conventional" negative power as a red herring. It was never planned to use negative power much in the future as they cause a significant amount of confusion for players. The ability "For Segovia!", a riff on For Mirrodin! from the Minneapolis Unknown Event playtest cards, creates a -1/-1 creature token.
===Combined value===
Combined P/T is a term that R&D uses internally and calls “heft”, with the gradations shown on the Mystery Booster card . It may someday be used as a theme or subtheme, but the design space is shallow. The first card to mention combined power and toughness is , but the first one to use it with a numerical threshold is .
===Enhancement===
There are a number of enhancements that can be applied to the base power and toughness, including "<c>Giant Growth</c>" (+N/+N), firebreathing (+N/+0), toughness enhancement (+0/+N), and the more permanent effect of a +1/+1 counter. 
===Reduction===
The two most common mechanics that lower stats are referred to as weakness (-N/-N), and shrinking (-N/-0). Because they reduce the effectiveness of creatures during combat, they can be used as a combat trick or as a form of removal. Also, there is the more permanent effect of a -1/-1 counter. -0/-N is nearly indistinguishable from damage (see below), and has only been used as a mirror to a +N/+0 effect or with deprecated counters - only 18 cards have ever used -0/-N.
Weakness effects lower both power and toughness, or give -N/-N. The mechanic derives its nickname from the Alpha card <c>Weakness</c>. Abilities that grant -N/-N almost exclusively belong to black in the color pie, as it is typically more potent than damage in terms of killing creatures. -N/-N isn't affected by damage prevention nor replacement. Because reducing toughness to zero isn't a "destroy" effect, it can even remove regenerating and indestructible targets. Long term degradation of a creature may be represented by the use of counters
Shrinking is the nickname for effects that reduce creatures' power, or give -N/-0. It is named after the card <c>Shrink</c>, from Homelands. Shrink effects were formerly black, as an extension of its -N/-N ability. They were colorshifted to blue around the time of Ravnica block, in order to give the latter a combat-relevant mechanic.
===Alteration===
There are other shifts that can happen, e.g. with the "flowstone" or "<c>Bloodlust</c>" ability (+N/-N), by switching of the statistics, or by transformation.
==Set-specific variations==
The starter-level Portal set featured different terminology from that established in previous sets. These terms included "offense" for power and "defense" for toughness. Although these new terms were intended to simplify learning Magic, they were a source of distress for players if and when they started to use advanced-level and/or expert-level cards, which did not use this terminology. Cards featuring these terms received errata.
The silver-bordered Unhinged introduced power and toughness with fractions (<c>Little Girl</c>, <c>Fraction Jackson</c>). Fractions proved a little more taxing than R&D originally expected, so the chance of fraction return is low. The Un-rules being released with Unfinity no longer let you pick fractions when choosing a number.
==Rules==
==References==