Sorcery: Contested Realm October 2026 Rules Update

As we prepare for new cards and mechanics in our upcoming Frost Mage vs. Lavamancer and Baldassare’s Travels sets, we’re revisiting a few of Sorcery’s rules to clear up some interactions and answer questions that have come up along the way.

This October update to the Sorcery Rulebook introduces two notable changes: how available mana is determined and how Silence works. There are also a few smaller FAQ updates and rules clarifications.

Read on, Sorcerers!

You’ve Activated Our Traps Section

The updated rulebook includes rules for Traps, a new mechanic debuting on November 13 with Frost Mage vs. Lavamancer. The rules are set, the traps are laid, and we’re ready for launch.

Mana Sources Instead of a Mana Pool

We’re making an update to how mana is calculated during your turn. Your available mana now depends on the mana sources you currently control and how much mana you’ve already spent that turn.

Each time you try to spend mana, the game checks whether your current sources provide enough to cover that spending, accounting for what you’ve already spent.

This means that if you lose control of a mana source during your turn, you also lose access to the mana it provides. Likewise, if you gain control of a mana source, you gain access to its mana.

This is relevant to cards that change how many mana sources you have in the middle of your turn, such as Roots of Yggdrasil, Sinkhole, Abundance, Land Deed, etc.

Silence Is Still Golden (But the Rules Are Clearer)

Silence now removes only a card’s printed abilities and prevents silenced minions from casting spells.

That doesn’t mean a silenced minion is helpless, though! It can still benefit from abilities granted by other cards. So if an artifact, magic, aura, or another unsilenced minion grants an ability to your silenced minion, that ability still works!

Stealth, Ward, and Lance

Alongside this change, Stealth, Ward, and Lance are now genesis abilities rather than “as it enters the realm” abilities.

If you summon a minion with one of these keywords near Sisters of Silence or Sister Stefánia, it won't receive its Stealth, Ward, or Lance.

But what if your minion was already sneaking around before being silenced? Good news for the sneaky! A card that already has a Stealth or Ward mark keeps that mark even after being silenced.

The timing matters: Silence can prevent these genesis abilities from granting their marks, but it does not remove an existing Stealth or Ward mark.

Want the Full Rulebook?

All of these changes, and a few more minor clarifications, are now live in the updated rulebooks:

• Standard Rulebook - October 12 2026
• Annotated Rulebook - October 12 2026

The update also includes a few minor FAQ additions and rules clarifications on the Codex. For the complete list of changes, read the October changelog and updated Codex entries here.

Thank you for your questions, your feedback, and for continuing to bring the Realm to life!