Q: How does Death Cloud resolve in respect to active and non-active player? For instance would I declare which creatures I intend to sacrifice first, or does my opponent?
A: Although the actions occur simultaneously, the active player will choose first and then the non-active. If it involves multiple instructions, like Death Cloud, you'll both choose for each instruction in order (which cards to discard, which creatures to sacrifice, and so forth) in APNAP order.
Q: What's the legitimacy of running only foil versions of a certain card that you've been able to 'bling?' Say I want to run 4 foil Birds of Paradise and no other foils in my deck, would that be okay, or would I have the same problems as the person that has a 59 card foil deck with 1 non foiled card?
A: There's no hard and fast rule that says you can't run a specific number of foil versions of a card, or all foil lands, or whatever. The only problem you'll have is if those cards are easily distinguished from the rest of your deck (while face down). If so, you have marked cards, and are subject to the appropriate penalties.
Q: If I control Ageless Entity and it is Spirit Linked, how many +1+1 counters will it gain if it is unblocked?
A: Four. It deals four damage all at once. Spirit Link triggers, and you gain four life all at once. Ageless Entity's ability triggers once, and you'll put on four counters.
Q: OK, I understand that Damping Matrix doesn't stop mana abilities. How do I know what's a mana ability and what's not?
A: A mana ability is either (a) an activated ability that could put mana into a player's mana pool when it resolves or (b) a triggered ability that triggers from a mana ability and could produce additional mana. A mana ability can generate other effects at the same time it produces mana (rule 406.1). Birds of Paradise, Skirk Prospector, and Wild Growth are all mana abilities. Dark Ritual is not.
Q: How does the DCI assign points and ranking to players, and where do the DCI points start?
A: A new player's DCI Rating starts at 1600. Simply put, rating points are gained and lost based on match results, using a formula very much like the ELO system in chess. Players' ratings are compared when the match is played and the formula derives and expected win percentage for each, with the higher-rated player gaining fewer or losing more points. The K-value of the tournament will change the number of points at stake (some events, like Pro Tours, are worth more points). The forumla is based on the idea that if two players were to play an infinite (or arbitrarily large) number of matches, their ratings would end up exactly where they started.
Q: If I have a Jackalope Herd in play can I Rancor it to have both the Rancor and the Herd return to my hand?
A: No. The Jackalope Herd's ability will trigger as soon as you announce Rancor, and the Herd will be returned to your hand before Rancor resolves. When it tries to resolve, its target will be illegal, so it will be countered (rule 413.2a). It will be put into the graveyard and stay there.
Q: Does Bribery target the player or the library ? Does Ivory Mask protect against Bribery ?
A: Bribery targets an opponent, not his library. Ivory Mask will protect against it.
Q: If I play Deconstruct targeting my opponent's artifact and he uses Welding Jar to regenerate the artifact, do I still get the green mana? At the tournament that I was at, the tournament organizer ruled that getting the mana is contingent on the destruction actually happening and I wouldn't get the mana.
A: The tournament organizer was wrong. You still get the mana because it's NOT contingent on the artifact actually being destroyed. If it was, Deconstruct would say something like"...if the artifact is destroyed this way, then add GGG to your mana pool."
Q: My opponent is playing Ravager Affinity, and has in play Disciple of the Vault, Frogmite, Myr Enforcer, and three random artifact lands. I am at 7 life, and I play Death Cloud for 3. As the Death Cloud resolves, the Disciple will be sacrificed before the artifact lands. Does that mean that the Disciple will not trigger for the artifact lands, and I will survive?
A: Yes. Although the game sees the resolution of Death Cloud as a single event, meaning players don't get priority during resolution despite the multiple instructions, the Disciple leaves play before the artifact lands. It's not around to trigger when they're sacrificed. It's different than Akroma's Vengeance, which would put them in the graveyard simultaneously.
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