702 Keyword Abilities
Rules by topic
The big list. Almost every keyword ability ever printed has a formal definition somewhere in 702.x (keyword actions, like scry and mill, are in 701). Flying is 702.9. Trample is 702.19. Ward is 702.21. Deathtouch is 702.2.
The wiki's keyword articles have the plain-English version of each. This subsection has the formal CR text -- the source of truth when something edge-case-y comes up.
Quick lookup pattern
The first block, 702.2 through 702.21, is alphabetical: the core keywords. After that, each new keyword gets the next number, so the rest run roughly in the order they were introduced. The core block:
- 702.2 Deathtouch
- 702.4 Double strike
- 702.5 Enchant
- 702.6 Equip
- 702.7 First strike
- 702.8 Flash
- 702.9 Flying
- 702.10 Haste
- 702.11 Hexproof
- 702.12 Indestructible
- 702.15 Lifelink
- 702.16 Protection
- 702.17 Reach
- 702.18 Shroud
- 702.19 Trample
- 702.20 Vigilance
- 702.21 Ward
...and many more, currently up to 702.184 (Station), for set-specific and older mechanics.
How to read these
Each 702.X entry opens by saying what kind of ability the keyword is and what it means (702.9a: "Flying is an evasion ability"; 702.9b spells out the blocking rule). The lettered rules after that cover the details: multiple instances, variants, and specific interactions. Reminder text is printed on cards, not in the rules.
For Commander tables, the most-questioned ones are: trample (combat math), deathtouch (assigning damage), ward (counter-cost timing), and protection (the famous DEBT mnemonic -- damage, enchanting and equipping, blocking, targeting).