Rules Tip of the Day: Some shortcuts in Magic are acceptable. Games would take much too long if we announced everything that happened and every time priority was passed. The two things to keep in mind when using shortcuts are that you make sure your opponents understand what is going on, and that you don't rush things so that your opponent can't respond to your actions.

Q: My opponent is at two life; I am at eighteen. I have Burning-Tree Shaman on the board and he has Izzet Guildmage. My opponent taps out on his turn to play Lava Spike with Desperate Ritual spliced onto it. Then he hard casts Desperate Ritual to begin the infinite Lava Spike loop, hitting me six times. I laugh and tell him thanks for the win. He says he can manipulate the stack so that he wins first. Who is right?

A: You are. Each time he activates the ability of the Izzet Guildmage, the triggered ability from your Burning-Tree Shaman will go on the stack on top of the Guildmage's ability. This triggered ability resolves before the Guildmage's ability resolves and makes a copy of the Ritual spliced Spike. After the second time he activates the Guildmage's ability and the Shaman's ability resolves, he will lose the game.

Q: I simply wanted to confirm that, upon the resolution of Seize the Soul, I could choose the newly-made token as the Haunt target.

A: You are correct. When Seize the Soul resolves, the targeted nonwhite, nonblack creature will be destroyed and you will put a flying Spirit token into play. Then the Seize the Soul will go to the graveyard when it has completed resolving. At this point, the Haunt ability will trigger and you can target the Spirit token that was just put into play.

Q: I was playing a game with Izzet Guildmage already in play. I cast Lava Spike, and at the same time paid the Replicate cost via the Izzet. The other player used Frazzle to counter the original spell and I was told that the Replicated copy then was stopped as well, as the Frazzle meant that the target had become illegal. As I understand it, the original spell may have been countered, but the Replicated one is separate and would have still resolved. Who's right?

A: First of all, Izzet Guildmage does not have a replicate ability. It has two abilities that make copies of spells, but these are not Replicate abilities. Because of this important distinction, you will not get a copy of the targeted spell. From your description, you played Lava Spike and then—before passing priority—you activated the ability of the Izzet Guildmage. When you did pass priority, your opponent played Frazzle and targeted your Spike. The Frazzle would resolve first, countering the Lava Spike. This would remove the Spike from the stack. Then the ability of the Izzet Guildmage would attempt to resolve. However, its target is no longer legal as it has been removed from the stack. Because of this, the Guildmage's ability will be countered on resolution.

Q: My friend used Confiscate on my Phytohydra, which was equipped with Pariah's Shield; he claimed that he got to take the equipment with it. Does the equipment drop off?

A: The equipment will stay on the Phytohydra, but you will still control the Shield. As you still control it, you can pay the equip cost to move it during one of the main phases of your turn when the stack is empty. Keep in mind that until the Pariah's Shield is moved from the Phytohydra, the damage that would be dealt to you will still be redirected to Phytohydra.

Q: I have Eye of the Storm in play; a few instants and sorceries have been removed from the game by it. My opponent plays an instant or sorcery. If I somehow return Eye of the Storm to my hand before the Eye's triggered ability resolves, will he be able to play copies of the cards previously removed from the game?

A: No. In fact, when the Eye of the Storm's triggered ability resolves the instant or sorcery your opponent just played will be removed from the game and he will not be able to play a copy of it. What cards an ability has removed from the game are not characteristics. Because of this the ability cannot use last known information to make copies of any of the removed cards.

Q: Does Force of Will cost three colorless mana to play when Trinisphere is in play and you use the alternate casting cost?

A: Yes. Even if you are playing the Force of Will via its alternate cost, you will still have to pay three mana due to Trinisphere's effect.

Q: I have Price of Glory out. On my turn, I play Mana Short on my opponent. Will his lands be destroyed?

A: No. Price of Glory only destroys lands that are tapped for mana. Mana Short taps lands, but tapping those lands does not add mana to a mana pool, so it cannot trigger Price of Glory.

Q: If I cast two copies of Forget, will the second Forget result in my discarding two cards and then drawing four cards?

A: No, the second to resolve will only consider the card you discarded due to that Forget. It does not count the cards that you discarded due to other Forgets.