What is an activated ability mtg?

An activated ability in Magic: The Gathering is a type of ability that a player can activate by paying a cost. This cost is usually tapping a card, paying mana, or sacrificing a permanent. Once the cost is paid, the ability is placed on the stack and can then be resolved.

Activated abilities are denoted by a colon followed by a cost and an effect. For example, "Tap: Add one green mana to your mana pool" is an activated ability that requires the player to tap the card in order to generate green mana.

Activated abilities can be used at any time that a player has priority, unless specifically stated otherwise. Some activated abilities have restrictions on when they can be used, such as only during a player's turn or only during certain phases of the game.

Activated abilities can be a key component of a card's strategy and can be used to gain advantages over opponents, control the board, or win the game.