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Rules Tip of the Day: Only spells and abilities that use the word 'target' actually target other objects. A major exception to this is that local enchantments—now called Auras—do target when they are on the stack. Also, some keyword abilities also target and may not explicitly state this on individual cards.
Q: If I cast a spell targeting Ink-Treader Nephilim, and the spell is countered before the trigger resolves, does the ability still make the copies?
A: Yes. In an example like this the Ink-Treader's ability will use the last know information about the spell before it left the stack.
Q: If I have three Dredge cards in my graveyard, and I play Brainstorm, can I get all three Dredge cards back?
A: Yes, but you'll still have to put two cards from your hand on top of your library.
Q: Let's say that my opponent controls Ink-Treader Nephilim, and I play Wildsize on it. Who will draw cards, me or my opponent?
A: The copies of spells that are put on the stack by Ink-Treader Nephilim's ability are controlled by the player who controlled the Ink-Treader. So your opponent will draw cards for each of the copies created by this ability, but you will draw one card for the original Wildsize that you played.
Q: I control Defense of the Heart, and my opponent has two creatures. At the beginning of my upkeep, I use Forbidden Orchard before Defense of the Heart's ability has resolved. Does the new Forbidden Orchard token creature allow Defense of the Heart to resolve with three creatures under my opponent's control, or does the 1/1 token come in to play after Defense of the Heart has resolved?
A: That cannot work as you described. The ability of Defense of the Heart will not trigger if your opponent does not control three or more creatures when the upkeep step begins. It does not matter if later in your upkeep step he does get another creature; it is too late for that ability to trigger.
Q: Can I use Healing Salve to cause my opponent's Avatar of Hope to be countered, or at least make him pay 6 more mana?
A: No, that doesn't work. No player will receive priority to play spells or abilities during the announcement of another spell or ability. When a player plays Avatar of Hope, he will calculate the cost and pay that cost before anyone else can do anything. You can respond to the Avatar spell by playing the Healing Salve, targeting your opponent, but this will not affect the Avatar spell on the stack in any way.
Q: Can I use the activated ability of Minion of Leshrac to destroy itself during my upkeep so I don't take five damage?
A: Minion of Leshrac has Protection from Black, so you can't target it with its activated ability. Even if you could (or if you destroy it with some other method), you will still have to sacrifice a creature or take five damage when the triggered ability resolves. Removing the source of an ability on the stack will not change the existance of the ability.
Q: I was at a tournament recently, and something pretty bad happened. I sat down in front of my first opponent. He said "I know what you're playing." I didn't respond.
I shuffled up and presented for him to cut. He picked up my deck with his left hand, took the bottom half with his right, looked at about ten cards in the middle of the deck and said, "Yeah, that's what I thought." and then completed the cut. I told him what he had just done was illegal. I would have said more, but I didn't know the penalty. At this REL 1 tournament, what should have happened to him?
A: To be blunt, your opponent cheated. At any level of play the penalty for this is disqualification. While your opponent may have been trying to joke around, what he did is not allowed. What if he was wrong and did not know what you were playing? And even if he did, did he know the exact build of your deck? Or what if he did not know at all what you were playing and put up this front in order to cheat and learn what you were playing. And you should have called a judge regardless of whether or not you knew the penalty.
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