An activated ability is an ability that can be activated by paying its activation cost, which often includes mana or tapping but can have many other components. Activated abilities are abilities that you pay some cost to make the effect happen, such as tapping it, paying mana, sacrificing a creature, or other costs. Activated abilities can be manually set off by their controller by paying some kind of cost. Activated abilities can be identified by using a colon in the card text. Anything listed before that colon is the cost, while anything after it is the abilitys effect. Activated abilities have a cost and an effect, and they are written as “. If an object or rule refers to activating an ability without specifying what kind, it must be referring to an activated ability.

Activated abilities can generally be used at any time as if you were casting an instant. This includes when you’re attacking, during your upkeep before you draw for the turn, and even on your opponent’s turn. Activating an activated ability works pretty much the same way as casting a spell. You pay the abilitys cost to activate it (and choose any targets for it), and then players can respond by casting other spells or abilities before your ability resolves and its effect takes place.