Rules Tip of the Day: Unless specified, you can sacrifice a creature to pay the activation cost of its own ability.

Q: Some folks at my local shop were arguing whether or not Pithing Needle shuts down creatures that are morphed. One side states that it is an activated ability, and the other says that, say, Exalted Angel isn't technically an Exalted Angel when it's face down, that it's a nameless creature. Which is right?

A: Turning a face down card face up by paying the Morph cost is not prohibited by Pithing Needle, regardless of what card is named as Pithing Needle comes into play. Morph is not an activated ability. Paying a Morph cost is making a special action to end a continuous effect.

Q: If I have both Havoc and Eight-and-a-Half Tails in play, may I turn any spell white in response to it being cast and have them take two damage as a result or does the spell need to be white to begin with?

A: No, the spell needs to be white to begin with. Havoc's ability triggers when a white spell is played. Making a spell on the stack white after this spell has been played will not retroactively cause Havoc to trigger.

Q: If I have Dense Canopy in play, and I enchant a creature with Treetop Bracers, is that creature unblockable?

A: Yes. Because of the Treetop Bracers, this enchanted creature can only be blocked by creatures that can block flying creatures. And, due to the Dense Canopy, flying creatures will not be able to block non-flying creatures. Mix this all together and you have an unblockable creature.

Q: I had Kira, Great Glass Spinner and Celestial Kirin in play. My opponent has a bunch of 3 casting cost permanents in play. During one my turns, I played another Kira. We know that the permanents with 3 CC will be destroyed; however, my question is: will my second Kira (the one being summoned) be destroyed because of the legend rule, or the 2 Kiras will not see each other because the one in play will be immediately destroyed as I played my second kira?

A: When you play this second Kira, the ability of your Celestial Kirin will trigger and go on the stack on top of the Kira spell. This triggered ability will resolve first before the Kira spell resolves. This means that your Kira and all other permanents with a converted mana cost of 3 in play will be destroyed before the second Kira enter play. When the Kira spell resolves, it will be the only Legendary permanent named Kira in play, so the Legend rule is not applied.

Q: I was playing a match and I got out all three Urza's lands. I tapped them for 7 mana and played a 6 mana artifact creature. I have one mana left over and my opponent attempts to counter the creature with Condescend for 2. I know the creature will be countered, but can I pay 1 into Condescend to keep from mana burning for 1?

A: No. When this Condescend resolves you are given the option of paying two mana and only two mana; you can not choose to make a partial payment in order to avoid mana burn.

Q: If my opponent has a critter equipped with Sword of Fire and Ice and I target the Sword with Unforge, does this creature get the 2 damage dealt to it? I believe the answer is yes because by the time the damage is dealt the Sword is already destroyed and the Pro: Red is no longer relevant.

A: You are correct. You follow the text of Unforge in the order that is written. This means that you destroy the Sword of Fire and Ice first, and then deal two points of damage to this equipped creature. Because the Sword is not in play when the damage is dealt, the creature will not have protection from red and the damage will be dealt.

Q: I have an attacking Marsh Viper equipped with a Fireshrieker and my opponent has no creatures to block, would he receive 4 counters?

A: Yes. Marsh Viper's ability will trigger once each time it deals damage to a player. As it has Double Strike, it will deal damage to the defending player twice, so the ability will trigger twice.

Q: My opponent is attacking with Darksteel Colossus. I have a 4/4 Arcbound Ravager, and Divine Presence is in play. I block his attacking Darksteel Colossus with my Ravager and he assigns 4 damage to my Ravager and the remaining 7 to me. I just want to make sure, will the Divine Pressence make the Colossus deal 3 to the 4/4 Ravager and 3 to me?

A: Yes, you are correct. It does not matter that this single source is dealing damage to a creature and to a player. The effect from Divine Pressence will lower the amount of damage to each to 3.

Q: If I don't have a creature to sacrifice to my Minion of Leshrac, do I have a chance to tap it for its ability before it becomes tapped and deals 5 damage to me? I know I'll still take the damage.

A: Yes, Minion of Leshrac's ability that causes you to sacrifice a creature is a triggered ability that uses the stack. After this ability has gone on the stack, you can tap it to destroy a target creature or land. And you are correct that you will still receive five points of damage.