Rules Tip of the Day: When an attacking or blocking creature changes controllers in combat, it is removed from combat. Keep in mind that if a blocking creature is removed from combat, the attacking creature it blocked will remain blocked. Also, if combat damage has been assigned, this damage will be dealt both to and from creatures that have been removed from combat.

Q: I have Dimir Doppleganger in play, currently copying Carrion Howler. I activate the "Pay 1 life: Carrion Howler gets +2/-1 until end of turn" ability ten times without passing priority. I then use the copy ability of the Doppleganger to copy an Autochthon Wurm. What am I left with? Do the ten activations of the Howler's ability become countered upon resolution, as there is no Carrion Howler around to get +2/-1, or do they resolve and leave me with a 29/4 trampling Autocthon Wurm?

A: Anytime the text on a permanent refers to itself by name it means "this permanent." So these activated abilities will resolve and affect this Doppelganger, regardless of what it is copying. In this example the Dimir Doppelganger will get +20/-10.

Q: How does Affinity and Chorus of Conclave work? I have Mycosynth Golem out, with fourteen other artifacts and a Chorus of Conclave. I go to cast an Iron Myr and would like to use Chorus of Conclave's ability to add +1/+1 tokens to it... Would Affinity let me reduce the cost of what I'd pay for Chorus of Conclave's ability?

A: Yes, what you want to do does work. Chorus of the Conclave's ability allows you to give creature spells you control an additional cost. (While this additional cost does not have an "X" in the cost, it functions in the same way.) When you announce a creature spell, you will choose how much you are going to pay for this additional cost first, then you will calculate the actual cost of this spell, apply cost reductions, and finally pay this cost. In the example given, you would be able to announce this Iron Myr spell and choose that you are going to pay an additional 13 in order for it to get thirteen +1/+1 counters as it comes into play. Then when you factor in the cost reduction from the Affinity ability you end up having to to pay nothing as you control fifteen artifacts.

Q: Can Pithing Needle stop the abilities of the Signets from Ravnica, City of Guilds? I say it doesn't, but my opponent was arguing that you had to pay mana to use it, making it an activation, and the mana ability comes after.

A: No, Pithing Needle cannot prevent the abilities of the Ravnica Signets from being used. Those abilities are mana abilities, as they add mana to a player's mana pool. It does not matter that these abilities have an activation cost, they are still mana abilities.

Q: I have one Searing Meditation in play. I then play Lightning Helix. When I gain the three life, I can pay two mana for the Searing Meditation ability to have it deal two damage to a target. Could I pay two more and have it deal two to another target or would I have to have another Searing Meditation in play?

A: When you gain life, Searing Meditation's ability will trigger just once. When this triggered ability goes on the stack you can only choose a single target. Then when this triggered ability resolves, you can pay two mana to have the ability deal two points of damage to the targeted creature or player. You are correct that in order to "shoot" two targets you would need to control two Searing Meditations. Another option would be if you were to gain life more than once.

Q: Can Threads of Disloyalty enchant Tomoya the Revealer? I presume not: Tomoya the Revealer has no mana cost in its upper right corner, so it has no converted mana cost, i.e. not zero nor two. Is that right?

A: No, that is incorrect. When a permanent flips, many of its characteristics change. However, the converted mana cost does not. The converted mana cost of Tomoya the Revealer is the same as Jushi Apprentice, which is two. Because of this, a Tomoya the Revealer can be enchanted by Threads of Disloyalty.

Q: I was recently in a game where I had an Ivory Mask out and my opponent had a Hypnotic Specter. I took damage from the Specter, but would I lose cards from my hand too?

A: Yes you will have to discard a card. Hypnotic Specter's triggered ability does not target anything. It can cause a player to discard even if this player can not be targeted.

Q: Does Skeleton Ship's "no Island in play" ability count lands with the land type "Island"? If I have Watery Grave or Underground Sea in play, will I be able to have the Skeleton Ship in play?

A: Yes. Skeleton Ship's ability refers to lands with the subtype of Island, not just lands named Island. That ability will not trigger if you control a Watery Grave or Underground Sea.

Q: My friend and I both have a Platinum Angel out in play. We are both at zero life. He then plays Echoing Truth on his Platinum Angel. What would happen and does it matter which Angel he played it on, or who's the active player?

A: No, it does not matter who the active player is or which Angel is targeted, both players will lose the game at the same time and this game will be a draw. When Echoing Truth resolves, both Angels will be returned to their owner's hands. After Echoing Truth has resolved, state-based effects will be checked. At this point, both players will have a life total of zero or below, so both player will lose the game.