Rules Tip of the Day: When a spell or ability is countered, either by another spell or ability, or by being countered on resolution, no part of it resolves. This applies, for example, to cantrips, which have you draw a card as part of the effect. If the cantrip spell is countered, you do not draw a card.

Q: I have Necroplasm (with three counters) and Dimir Doppelganger in play, with Konda, Lord of Eiganjo in the graveyard with enough mana to copy the Konda. Before the end of my turn, can I have the Doppelganger copy Konda in order to save the Doppelganger? Will it be saved because it becomes a copy of Konda and is then indestructible, or due to the converted mana cost of Konda?

A: Yes this Doppelganger can be saved and the second reason you gave is the reason why. When the Doppelganger copies something, it will gain the converted mana cost of the removed card.

Q: What happens if my opponent plays Cranial Extraction and I play Shadow of Doubt in response?

A: When the Cranial Extraction resolves your opponent will be able to search your hand and graveyard for the named card and remove them from the game. Your opponent will not be able to search for any additional copies of this card in your library.

Q: With Abundance in play can I Dredge a card?

A: Yes. With Abundance in play and a card with Dredge in your graveyard, you can choose which effect to apply when you would draw. Keep in mind that both of these effects are optional and you can choose to simply draw as well.

Q: Does Ivory Mask prevent the effects of Ebony Owl Netsuke?

A: No. Ebony Owl Netsuke's ability does not target. You can still receive damage from this ability even if you cannot be the target of spells or abilities.

Q: Can I use Witch Engine and Soldevi Adnate to get ten Black mana ?

A: No. Both Soldevi Adnate and Witch Engine have mana abilities. These abilities do not use the stack and can not be responded to. If you use Witch Engine's ability to add BBB to your pool first, then your opponent will control the Witch Engine and you will not be able to sacrifice it. And because you sacrifice a creature when you use the Adnate's ability, if you use that ability first and sacrifice Witch Engine, then you will not be able to use Witch Engine's ability, as it will not be in play.

Q: I was wondering if you can tap Lake of Dead and use the Black mana before it goes to the graveyard, if you have no Swamps to sacrifice to its comes-into-play ability?

A: No. Lake of the Dead will not come into play if you do not sacrifice a Swamp as it comes into play. As written, it has a triggered ability. However, when initially printed, triggered abilities did not use the stack. In order to have the card have the same functionality this ability was reworded so it is now a static ability that generates a replacement effect that is applied as the Lake of the Dead would enter play. Other similar lands from Alliances also have this errata.

Q: My opponent has Daru Spiritualist and Nomad En-Kor. He targets the Daru one million times, then plays Worthy Cause (or taps a Starlit Sanctum). I play Terror in response, at Daru. When Worthy Cause (or Starlit) resolves, there is no Cleric to sac so he gets no life. Correct?

A: No, what you have described is not possible. The Spiritualist is sacrificed when Worthy Cause or the ability of the Sanctum is played. You cannot respond and target the Spiritualist as it is not in play at this point. The Spiritualist is not in play when the spell or ability resolves, but that is because it was sacrificed when the spell or ability was played. And because of all of this your opponent will gain the life.

Q: In a subgame created by Shahrazad, if an Epic spell is played, does it prevent that player from playing spells back in the main game?

A: No. The Epic effect only applies to the subgame, and will not carry over into the main game.

Q: If a player searches for a card and then shuffles, and I decline to cut his deck after shuffling, can he cut it himself before resuming a game? I thought it was illegal to cut your own deck after the opponent has declined.

A: Technically speaking, your opponent can only re-cut his deck if you have shuffled or cut his deck, but unless there is a suspicion of cheating this is a very minor infraction. [I'd find this behavior a little suspicous, but probably it's most often going to happen when the player isn't paying much attention. -S]