Exile

Exile is a game zone outside the field of play. It is also a keyword action, meaning "put into the exile zone".
Exile was known as "removed from the game" before it was renamed as part of the Magic 2010 rules update. 
==Description==
The exile zone is used by a wide variety of abilities as a tool to make the ability work as intended. The Comprehensive Rules describe exile as "essentially a holding area for objects" which can be temporary or permanent. Interactions with exile are dictated almost exclusively by abilities - exile is never involved in the core game flow of turn-based actions, playing cards and combat unless an ability is at work. Additionally, extremely few cards can bring another card out of exile that it didn't exile itself. Together, these properties allow for ability designs that place cards in exile, and potentially dictate further actions that will happen to them, with almost no chance of interference or complication by any other effects.
The zone is often used as a temporary holding place for cards, as with the mechanics Adventure, Flicker, Foretell, Imprint, Madness, Plot and Suspend. Depending on the exiling ability and abilities linked to it, the exiled card may be returned to where it came from or moved to another zone, be copied, have its attributes referenced by other abilities, or be played from exile, among other options. These actions may happen immediately, or after a delay. Sometimes counters are used on such cards; exile is the only zone other than the battlefield in which cards often have counters.
Exiling is also a form of removal, as in the classic <c>Swords to Plowshares</c>. This is stronger and more permanent than putting cards into the graveyard, since there are few preventive measures compared to damage or destruction, and there's little chance of getting the card out of exile later. It is extremely difficult to protect against a non-targeted exile card like , since abilities like Indestructible don't prevent exile. The "imprisoning" form of exile removal, which is now common among white enchantments and creatures, allows for more counterplay: the removal can be reversed if the exiler is itself eliminated.
Exile can serve as a "graveyard for the graveyard" - a zone cards go to which is even more final than the graveyard. Graveyard hate cards do this to prevent opponents from retrieving cards from it (<c>Tormod's Crypt</c>, <c>Decompose</c>). Graveyard cards can also be deliberately consumed as resources (<c>Frankenstein's Monster</c>, Escape), or exile themselves after being used from the graveyard to avoid being re-used repeatedly (Flashback, <c>Academy Rector</c>). Some cards even exile themselves immediately upon resolution, to prevent any re-use, most often with easily recurring or powerful spells (<c>All Sun's Dawn</c>, extra turn spells).
Only a few cards, such as <c>Pull from Eternity</c>, <c>Riftsweeper</c> or <c>Binding Negotiation</c>, can access a card in exile without having exiled it themselves. Battle for Zendikar notably inverted the usual pattern by using the exile zone as a resource through the Ingest ability and a series of Eldrazi Processor cards that moved cards from exile into the graveyard, albeit only the opponent's cards. Head designer Mark Rosewater tries to limit such cards, and does not believe a theme like exile-as-a-resource is likely to be re-used in future sets.
Exiling primarily occurs among white, black, and colorless cards.
The one use of exile by the game rules themselves rather than in connection to card abilities is in multiplayer games. Cards that were controlled by a player that has left the game, but owned by a player still in the game, remain in the game but move to the exile zone.
==Rules==
===Obsolete terminology===
==Flavor==
Due to the multiple uses of the exile zone, there is no unified flavor of exile, though the flavor of exiling cards from the battlefield is often of disappearance or transformation. The exile zone itself often represents oblivion, a region beyond death. However, the zone can also represent any of various states of inaccessibility not related to a player's graveyard, such as on <c>Swords to Plowshares</c> or <c>Grimoire Thief</c>.
Because graveyard interaction is often flavored as a form of necromancy, spells that kill and exile creatures are often flavored as making the creature unable to be revived, either by way of exorcising spirits (such as <c>Rest in Peace</c>) or by reducing the creature to a state that its body cannot possibly be reanimated (such as <c>Lava Coil</c>).
==Examples==
==Capping==
"Capping" is a slang term of a special type of exile, which refers to searching an opponent's library for specific cards and exiling them in order to deny the opponent of their use at some future time. It is named after the card <c>Jester's Cap</c>, the first card to use the effect.
===List of Capping spells===
*<c>Bitter Ordeal</c> one card but with gravestorm
*<c>Denying Wind</c> up to seven cards
*<c>Earwig Squad</c> 5/3 - Prowl - when this enters the battlefield, if its prowl cost was paid, three cards
*<c>Jester's Cap</c> - , , sacrifice: three cards
*<c>Neverending Torment</c> X cards, where X is the number of cards in your hand - Epic
*<c>Nightmare Incursion</c> X cards, where X is the number of Swamps you control
*<c>Sadistic Sacrament</c> - Kicker up to three cards; if kicked, up to fifteen cards
*<c>Supreme Inquisitor</c> 1/3 - Tap five untapped Wizards you control: up to five cards
==List of exile spells==
===Instants===
*<c>Abzan Charm</c> target creature power 3 or greater, your choice.
*<c>Altar's Light</c> target artifact or enchantment, your choice.
*<c>Anguished Unmaking</c> target nonland permanent, your choice. You lose 3 life.
*<c>Angelic Acension</c> target creature or planeswalker, your choice. Its' controller makes a 4/4 Angel with flying.
*<c>Baleful Mastery</c> exile target creature or planeswalker.
*<c>Blazing Hope</c> target creature with power greater than or equal to your life total, your choice.
*<c>Blessed Reincarnation</c> target creature an opponent controls, your choice. Replaces with the next creature in that player's library. Spell has Rebound.
*<c>Celestial Purge</c> target black or red permanent, your choice.
*<c>Complete Disregard</c> target creature with power 3 or less, your choice.
*<c>Consuming Sinkhole</c> target land creature, your choice.
*<c>Counterbore</c> counter target spell, search same name.
*<c>Crib Swap</c> target creature, your choice. Its controller creates a 1/1 colorless Shapeshifter creature token with changeling.
*<c>Cremate</c> target creature from a graveyard, your choice.
*<c>Crypt Incursion</c> all creature cards from target player's graveyard. You gain 3 life for each card exiled this way.
*<c>Eradicate</c> target nonblack creature, your choice, search same name.
*<c>Deicide</c> target enchantment, your choice. If god card subtype, search same name.
*<c>Deny Existence</c> counter target creature spell.
*<c>Devouring Light</c> target attacking or blocking creature, your choice.
*<c>Dissipate</c> counter target spell.
*<c>Exile</c> target nonwhite attacking creature, you gain life equal to its toughness.
*<c>Expel</c> target tapped creature,
*<c>Extirpate</c> target card in a graveyard other than a basic land card, your choice, search same name - Split second
*<c>Last Breath</c> target creature with power 2 or less. Its controller gains 4 life.
*<c>Path to Exile</c> target creature, its controller may search library for a basic land card.
*<c>Pillar of Light</c> Exile target creature with toughness 4 or greater
*<c>Prismatic Ending</c> nonland permanent, mana value less than or equal to the number of colors used to cast (0-5)
*<c>Rakdos Charm</c> all cards from target player's graveyard - tri-modal spell
*<c>Quash</c> counter target instant or sorcery, search same name.
*<c>Scour</c> target enchantment, your choice, search same name.
*<c>Selesnya Charm</c> target creature with power 5 or greater, your choice - tri-modal spell.
*<c>Shattering Blow</c> target artifact, your choice.
*<c>Surgical Extraction</c> target card in graveyard, search same name. 
*<c>Swords to Plowshares</c> target creature, its controller gains life equal to its power.
*<c>Splinter</c> target artifact, your choice, search same name.
*<c>Summary Dismissal</c> exile all spells.
*<c>Trostani's Judgment</c> target creature, your choice - Populate.
*<c>Unmake</c> target creature, your choice.
*<c>Utter End</c> target nonland permanent, your choice.
*<c>Vanishing Verse</c> target monocolored permanent, your choice.
*<c>Vile Rebirth</c> Exile target creature card from a graveyard. Put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield.
*<c>Void Shatter</c> counter target spell.
===Sorceries===
*<c>Aether Snap</c> all tokens. Remove all counters from all permanents.
*<c>Agonizing Remorse</c> nonland card of your choice from target opponent's hand or graveyard. You lose 1 life.
*<c>Angelic Edict</c> target creature or enchantment, your choice
*<c>Appetite for Brains</c> reveals hand, card with converted mana cost or greater, your choice
*<c>Castigate</c> reveals hand, nonland card, your choice
*<c>Curse of the Swine</c> X target creatures (of your choice). For each creature exiled this way, its controller puts a 2/2 green Boar creature token onto the battlefield.
*<c>Cranial Extraction</c> name a nonland card, your choice, search same name
*<c>Crumble to Dust</c> target nonbasic land, search same name - Devoid
*<c>Decree of Annihilation</c> all artifacts, creatures, and lands from the battlefield, all cards from all graveyards, and all cards from all hands - Cycling which also destroys all lands
*<c>Diminishing Returns</c> each player shuffles their hand and graveyard into their library, top ten cards of your library, then each player draws up to seven cards.
*<c>Dispossess</c> name an artifact card, your choice, search same name
*<c>Eradicate</c> target nonblack creature, search same name
*<c>Excoriate</c> target tapped creature.
*<c>Fade into Antiquity</c> target artifact or enchantment (of your choice).
*<c>Gild</c> target creature. Put a colorless artifact token named Gold onto the battlefield. It has "Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color."
*<c>Glare of Heresy</c> target white permanent (of your choice).
*<c>Haunting Echoes</c> all cards from target player's graveyard other than basic land cards; for each card exiled this way, search that player's library for all cards with the same name as that card and also exile them.
*<c>Identity Crisis</c> all cards from hand and graveyard, your choice
*<c>Infinite Obliteration</c> name a creature card, your choice, search same name
*<c>Lobotomy</c> reveals hand, card other than a basic land card, your choice, search same name
*<c>Lost Legacy</c> name a nonartifact, nonland card, your choice, search same name, opponent then draws cards equal to number of cards exiled from their hand
*<c>Memoricide</c> name a nonland card, your choice, search same name
*<c>Merciless Eviction</c> choose one exile all artifacts; or exile all creatures; or exile all enchantments; or exile all planeswalkers.
*<c>Mind Swords</c> two cards from their hand, each player
*<c>Necromentia</c> name a nonbasic land card, your choice, search same name, opponent then creates black 2/2 zombie tokens equal to number of cards exiled from their hand
*<c>Necrotic Fumes</c> target creature or planeswalker.
*<c>Night Terrors</c> reveals hand, nonland card, your choice
*<c>Psychic Theft</c> reveals hand, instant or sorcery card, your choice
*<c>Reap Intellect</c> reveals hand. You choose up to X nonland cards from it and exile them. For each card exiled this way, search that player's graveyard, hand, and library for any number of cards with the same name as that card and exile them. Then that player shuffles their library.
*<c>Revoke Existence</c> target artifact or enchantment.
*<c>Slaughter Games</c> name a nonland card, your choice, search same name - Can't be countered by spells or abilities
*<c>Sowing Salt</c> target nonbasic land, your choice, search same name
*<c>Splinter</c> target artifact, search same name
*<c>Stain the Mind</c> name a nonland card, your choice, search same name - Convoke
*<c>Struggle for Sanity</c> target opponent reveals their hand. That player exiles a card from it, then you exile a card from it. Repeat this process until all cards in that hand have been exiled. That player returns the cards they exiled this way to their hand and puts the rest into their graveyard.
*<c>Suppress</c> all cards from target player's hand face down, your choice (exiled card returns at beginning of the end step of that player's next turn)
*<c>Surgical Extraction</c> target card in a graveyard other than a basic land card, your choice, search same name
*<c>Transmogrify</c> target creature. That creature's controller reveals cards from the top of their library until they reveal a creature card. That player puts that card onto the battlefield, then shuffles the rest into their library
*<c>Thought Hemorrhage</c> name a nonland card, reveals hand, your choice, search same name (also deals 3 damage for each card with that name revealed this way)
*<c>Unmoored Ego</c> name any card, your choice, search same name, opponent then draws cards equal to number of cards exiled from their hand
===Creatures that cause exile===
*<c>Admonition Angel</c> : Landfall: a nonland permanent. The exiled cards return to the battlefield when Admonition Angel leaves the battlefield.
* <c>Agent of Erebos</c> Constellation (including itself): all cards from a graveyard
*<c>Amphin Mutineer</c> : non-Salamander creature. Its controller gets a 4/3 token. Encore 
*<c>Angel of the Ruins</c> : when enters the battlefield, exile up to two target artifacts and/or enchantments
*<c>Ashen Rider</c> : When enters the battlefield or dies, target permanent
*<c>Banisher Priest</c> : When enters the battlefield, until Banisher Priest leaves the battlefield.
** Banisher Priest–like effects (When this card enters the battlefield, exile target creature/permanent until this card leaves play.) are primary in white, and used to be secondary in blue. Currently, it has been removed from blue.
** Green was also considered as a secondary color, but this never materialized.
*<c>Brain Maggot</c> : When enters the battlefield, look at cards in target opponents hand, exile one until Brain Maggot leaves the battlefield
*<c>Daxos of Meletis</c> Whenever deals combat damage to a player, top card of that player's library. You gain life equal to that card's converted mana cost. Until end of turn, you may cast that card and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast it.
*<c>Deathrite Shaman</c> - exile different target cards for various effects
*<c>Fiend of the Shadows</c> 3/3 - deals combat damage to a player, a card from their hand, their choice
*<c>Ghastlord of Fugue</c> 4/4 - deals combat damage to a player, reveals hand, a card, your choice
*<c>Hypnox</c> 8/8 - when this enters the battlefield (if cast from hand), all cards from target opponent's hand
*<c>Kyoki, Sanity's Eclipse</c> 6/4 - whenever its controller cast a Spirit or Arcane spell, a card from target opponent's hand, their choice
*<c>Laelia, the Blade Reforged</c> Whenever Laelia attacks, Exile the top card of your library. You may play it this turn.
*<c>Lord of the Void</c> 7/7 - whenever this deals combat damage to a player, exile the top seven cards of that player's library, then put a creature card from among them onto the battlefield under your control.
*<c>Magus of the Jar</c> , Sacrifice Magus of the Jar: Each player exiles all cards from their hand face down and draws seven cards. At the beginning of the next end step, each player discards their hand and returns to their hand each card they exiled this way.
*<c>Mesmeric Fiend</c> 1/1 - when this enters the battlefield, target opponent, reveals hand, nonland card, your choice (when this leaves the battlefield, return the exiled card to its owner's hand.)
*<c>Nightveil Specter</c> 2/3 - whenever it deals combat damage to a player, that player exiles the top card of their library.
*<c>Shimian Specter</c> 2/2 - deals combat damage to a player, reveals hand, nonland card, your choice, search same name
*<c>Sin Collector</c> when this enters the battlefield, target opponent, reveals hand, instant or sorcery, your choice.
*<c>Tidehollow Sculler</c> 2/2 - when this enters the battlefield, target opponent, reveals hand, nonland card, your choice (when this leaves the battlefield, return the exiled card to its owner's hand.)
===Enchantments===
*<c>Act of Authority</c> : Artifact or enchantment when it enters the battlefield. Another artifact or enchantment on your upkeep, but doing so gives control of Act of Authority to that permanent's controller.
*<c>Chained to the Rocks</c> : When enters the battlefield, exile target creature an opponent controls until Chained to the Rocks leaves the battlefield. 
*<c>Descent into Madness</c> at the beginning of your upkeep, put a despair counter on Descent into Madness, then each player exiles X permanents they control and/or cards from their hand, where X is the number of despair counters on Descent into Madness.
*<c>Elkin Lair</c> at the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player exiles a card at random from their hand. The player may play that card this turn. At the beginning of the next end step, if the player hasn't played the card, they put it into their graveyard.
*<c>Oblivion Ring</c> : When enters the battlefield, exile target creature an opponent controls until Oblivion Ring leaves the battlefield. 
*<c>Parallax Nexus</c> - Fading - Remove a fade counter from this: Target opponent exiles a card from their hand. When Parallax Nexus leaves the battlefield, each player returns to their hand all exiled cards.
*<c>Planeswalker's Mischief</c> - : Target opponent reveals a card at random from their hand. If it's an instant or sorcery card, exile it. You may cast it without paying its mana cost for as long as it remains exiled. (If it has X in its mana cost, X is 0.) At the beginning of the next end step, if you haven't cast it, return it to its owner's hand. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
*<c>Rest in Peace</c> when this enters the battlefield, exile all cards from all graveyards. If a card or token would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, exile it instead.
===Planeswalkers that have or produce exile abilities===
*<c>Ajani, Inspiring Leader</c> : Exile target creature. Its controller gains 2 life.
*<c>Ajani, Strength of the Pride</c> : If you have at least 15 life more than your starting life total, exile Ajani, Strength of the Pride and each artifact and creature your opponents control.
*<c>Ajani Unyielding</c> : Exile target creature. Its controller gains life equal to its power..
*<c>Ashiok, Dream Render</c> : Target player mills four cards. Then exile each opponent’s graveyard.
*<c>Ashiok, Nightmare Muse</c> Two exile abilities:
**: Creates a 2/3 blue and black Nightmare creature token with “Whenever this creature attacks or blocks, each opponent exiles the top two cards of their library.”
**: Return target nonland permanent to its owner’s hand, then that player exiles a card from their hand.
*<c>Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver</c> Two exile abilities:
**: Exile the top three cards of target opponent’s library.
**: Exile all cards from all opponents’ hands and graveyards.
*<c>Calix, Destiny's Hand</c> : Exile target creature or enchantment you don’t control until target enchantment you control leaves the battlefield.
*<c>Chandra, Acolyte of Flame</c> : You may cast target instant or sorcery card with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard. If that spell would be put into your graveyard this turn, exile it instead.
*<c>Chandra, Awakened Inferno</c> : Deals X damage to target creature or planeswalker. If a permanent dealt damage this way would die this turn, exile it instead.
*<c>Chandra, Fire Artisan</c> Two exile abilities:
**: Exile the top card of your library. You may play it this turn.
**: Exile the top seven cards of your library. You may play them this turn.
*<c>Chandra, Flame's Catalyst</c> : You may cast target red instant or sorcery card from your graveyard. If that spell would be put into your graveyard this turn, exile it instead.
*<c>Chandra, Heart of Fire</c> Two exile abilities:
**: Discard your hand, then exile the top three cards of your library. Until end of turn, you may play cards exiled this way.
**: Search your graveyard and library for any number of red instant and/or sorcery cards, exile them, then shuffle your library. You may cast them this turn. Add six .
*<c>Chandra, Pyromaster</c> Two exile abilities:
**: Exile the top card of your library. You may play it this turn.
**: Exile the top ten cards of your library. Choose an instant or sorcery card exiled this way and copy it three times. You may cast the copies without paying their mana costs.
*<c>Chandra, Torch of Defiance</c> : Exile the top card of your library. You may cast that card. If you don’t, Chandra, Torch of Defiance deals 2 damage to each opponent.
*<c>Gideon Blackblade</c> : Exile target nonland permanent.
*<c>Gideon, Champion of Justice</c> : Exile all other permanents.
*<c>Gideon, the Oathsworn</c> : Exile him and each creature your opponents control.
*<c>Jace, Architect of Thought</c> : For each player, search that player’s library for a nonland card and exile it, then that player shuffles their library. You may cast those cards without paying their mana costs.
*<c>Jace, the Mind Sculptor</c> : Exile all cards from target player’s library, then that player shuffles their hand into their library.
*<c>Jace, Telepath Unbound </c> (transforms from <c>Jace, Vryn's Prodigy</c> ) : You may cast target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard this turn. If that spell would be put into your graveyard this turn, exile it instead.
*<c>Jaya Ballard </c> : You get an emblem with “You may cast instant and sorcery spells from your graveyard. If a spell cast this way would be put into your graveyard, exile it instead.”
*<c>Karn Liberated </c> Two exile abilities:
**: Target player exiles a card from their hand.
**: Exile target permanent.
*<c>Karn, Scion of Urza </c> : Reveal the top two cards of your library. An opponent chooses one of them. Put that card into your hand and exile the other with a silver counter on it.
*<c>Kasmina, Enigma Sage </c> : Search your library for an instant or sorcery card that shares a color with this planeswalker, exile that card, then shuffle. You may cast that card without paying its mana cost. Also gives this ability to any other planeswalker the same player controls, through her Static ability.
*<c>Kaya, Bane of the Dead </c> : Exile target creature.
*<c>Kaya, Ghost Assassin </c> : Exile Kaya, Ghost Assassin or up to one target creature. Return that card to the battlefield under its owner’s control at the beginning of your next upkeep.
*<c>Kaya, Orzhov Usurper </c> Two exile abilities:
**: Exile up to two target cards from a single graveyard. You gain 2 life if at least one creature card was exiled this way.
**: Exile target nonland permanent with converted mana cost 1 or less.
*<c>Kaya the Inexorable </c> : Exile target nonland permanent.
*<c>Lukka, Coppercoat Outcast </c> Two exile abilities:
**: Exile the top three cards of your library. Creature cards exiled this way gain “You may cast this card from exile as long as you control a Lukka planeswalker.”
**: Exile target creature you control, then reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a creature card with higher converted mana cost. Put that card onto the battlefield and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
*<c>Nahiri, the Harbinger </c> : Exile target enchantment, tapped artifact, or tapped creature.
*<c>Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God </c> : Each opponent exiles a card from their hand or a permanent they control.
*<c>Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh </c> Three exile abilities:
**: Target opponent exiles cards from the top of their library until they exile a nonland card. Until end of turn, you may cast that card without paying its mana cost.
**: Each opponent exiles two cards from their hand.
**: Exile each nonland permanent your opponents control.
*<c>Nicol Bolas, the Arisen </c> (transforms from <c>Nicol Bolas, the Ravager</c> ) : Exile all but the bottom card of target player’s library.
*<c>Will, Scholar of Frost</c> : Exile up to five target permanents. For each permanent exiled this way, its controller creates a 4/4 blue and red Elemental Creature token.
*<c>Teferi, Hero of Dominaria</c> : You get an emblem with “Whenever you draw a card, exile target permanent an opponent controls.”
*<c>Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge</c> : Exile the top ten cards of your library. Put all artifact cards from among them onto the battlefield.
*<c>The Wanderer</c> : Exile target creature with power 4 or greater.
*<c>Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor</c> Three exile abilities:
**: Exile the top card of each player’s library.
**: Exile target artifact or creature.
**: Exile all cards from all graveyards. Add .
*<c>Venser, the Sojourner</c> Two exile abilities:
**: Exile target permanent you own. Return it to the battlefield under your control at the beginning of the next end step.
**: You get an emblem with “Whenever you cast a spell, exile target permanent.”
*<c>Vivien, Champion of the Wilds</c> : Look at the top three cards of your library. Exile one face down and put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order. For as long as it remains exiled, you may look at that card and you may cast it if it’s a creature spell.
*<c>Xenagos, the Reveler</c> : Exile the top seven cards of your library. You may put any number of creature and/or land cards from among them onto the battlefield.
===Artifacts that cause exile===
*<c>Aligned Hedron Network</c> creatures with power 5 or greater until it leaves the battlefield
*<c>Amulet of Unmaking</c> , , Sacrifice: Artifact, creature or land, as sorcery.
*<c>Memory Jar</c> - , Sacrifice Memory Jar: Each player exiles all cards from their hand face down and draws seven cards. At the beginning of the next end step, each player discards their hand and returns to their hand each card they exiled this way.
*<c>Tormod's Crypt</c> , Sacrifice Tormod's Crypt: Exile all cards from target player’s graveyard.
===Cards that check for exile===
*<c>Warden of the Beyond</c> 2/2 - Gets +2/+2 if opponent has a card in exile.
*<c>Kaya, Orzhov Usurper </c> : Deals damage to target player equal to the number of cards that player owns in exile and you gain that much life.
*<c>Ral, Izzet Viceroy </c> : Deals damage to target creature equal to the total number of instant and sorcery cards you own in exile and in your graveyard.
*<c>Dreadlight Monstrosity</c> 5/5 Can't be blocked this turn if you pay and a card is exiled.
===Notes===
In the above list, "their choice" means the target player gets to choose which cards to exile, "your choice" means the person casting the spell gets to choose, and "search same name" means search exiled card's controller's graveyard, hand, and library for all cards with the same name as that card and exile them also.
==References==