Rules Tip of the Day: Unless an effect allows you to do so, you cannot look at your sideboard during a sanctioned game.

Q: Here is the situation: one player is at five life, has an untapped Indentured Oaf and a tapped Viashino Fangtail, the other player is at one life, with a Viashino Fangtail and a Boros Swiftblade. He had to attack because he would die to direct damage from the opponent's Fangtail the next turn, so he attacked with the Swiftblade, and the opponent blocked with the Oaf. The attacking player then played Boros Fury-Shield (paying Red) targeting the Oaf. Will the defending player take four damage from the Fury-Shield or no damage? We couldn't decide whether the Shield even cared about the Oaf's own damage prevention ability, since it does its damage on resolution.

A: The Oaf's ability does not matter, as the Fury-Shield is what is dealing this damage when it—the Fury-Shield—resolves. It does not matter that the Oaf's ability would eventually cause the Oaf's combat damage to be prevented, the Fury Shield's effect does not factor this in when it deals damage.

Q: I have Sensei's Divining Top in play and a Grave-Shell Scarab in my graveyard. My question is this, can I tap Sensei's Divining Top, and instead of drawing, using the Dredge ability of Grave-Shell Scarab, putting one card from the top of my library in my 'yard and putting Sensei's Divining Top on the top of my library?

A: Yes, that is how this interaction will work. This is because when the Divining Top's ability resolves, you deal with the draw and the Dredge before you put the Top back on top of your library.

Q: How does it work when you want to Transmute a card with mana cost X ? For example: Is it possible to transmute a Dimir Infiltrator to search for a Fireball?

A: The value of X in the mana cost of a card is treated as zero when this card is in any other zone other then when it is a spell on the stack. Dimir Infiltrator has a converted mana cost of two, so you cannot use one to get a Fireball. In order to Transmute for a Fireball, you need to use a Transmute card with a converted mana cost of one, such as Dizzy Spell.

Q: If have Circu, Dimir Lobotomist in play and my opponent has an Ivory Mask, can I still remove cards from the top of his library? I think that cards can be removed since Circu targets the library, not the player.

A: You are correct, a player's library can be targeted by Circu's ability even if the player can not be targeted.

Q: I control an Underworld Dreams and Teferi's Puzzle Box. My opponent controls a Circle of Protection: Black. When the Puzzle Box's ability resolves, he has four cards in his hand. In order to prevent the damage from the Underworld Dreams, will he have to activate the Circle four times or just once?

A: He will have to use his Circle of Protection: Black four times. Underworld Dreams' ability triggers once each time your opponent draws a card. Each of these triggers will resolve separately and deal one point of damage to him. In order to prevent all of this damage, your opponent will need four different damage prevention shields.

Q: I control Mindstorm Crown and start my upkeep step with no cards in my hand and one life. However, in response to the Crown's triggered ability, my opponent plays Inspiration and targets me. Will I draw a card, and more importantly, will I receive the damage?

A: Yes, you will draw a card, and no, you will not receive any damage. Mindstorm Crown's ability only cares about the number of cards in your hand when your turn begins. It does not matter if you draw cards before Mindstorm Crown's ability resolves.

Q: During my turn in a free-for-all multiplayer game, I play Master Warcraft. Do I get to control how each other player blocks this turn?

A: Yes. Master Warcraft's effect gives you the ability to choose how each attacking creature is blocked this turn, regardless of who each of these creatures are attacking.

Q: I know that the rules changed, so now, how do Opalescence and Humility interact? What happens when these two enchantments are in play?

A: The power and toughness of global enchantments in play is determined by which of these two came into play last, if the Humility came into play second, then global enchantments including the Humility itself will be 1/1s. If the Opalescence came into play second, then they will have power and toughness equal to their converted mana cost. Several years ago it used to matter if there were multiple copies of Opalescence in play, however that is no longer true. Now, all that matters is which has the latest timestamp.