Rules Tip of the Day: If an ability triggers in the untap step of a turn, this ability will wait around until the upkeep step before it goes on the stack and eventually resolves.

Q: I had Pride of the Clouds in play with four Bird tokens from Pride's Forecast ability. My opponent played Kindle the Carnage and discarded a card with converted mana cost two to do two damage to each creature. Does it kill the Pride of the Clouds?

A: Yes, after Kindle the Carnage resolves, the token 1/1 flyers will go to the graveyard. Then state-based effects are checked again, and the game see that the Pride is a 1/1 with two points of damage on it, so it will go to the graveyard at that point.

Q: If I cast Cytoshape, making one of my opponent's creatures a copy of a Bronze Bombshell that I own, who is the owner of the copy? Would the copy pop and deal seven damage, or would my opponent just have a Bombshell until the end of the turn?

A: Your opponent is the owner of the permanent that has become a copy of Bronze Bombshell, so he is the owner of this copy. Because he is the owner, the ability of this copy will not trigger.

Q: I have two Cytoplast Manipulators. I've taken creatures with both of them. If one of the Manipulators is removed from play, do I have to keep track of what creatures each Manipulator has taken and give back the creatures that the removed Manipulator has taken?

A: Yes you do have to keep track of what each Cytoplast Manipulator has "stolen." In this example, you will lose control of creature that were stolen by the Manipulator that left play. Anytime a card refers to itself by name, it means "this card", not any card with the same name. That line of text in Cytoplast Manipulator's ability means that as long as this particular Manipulator is in play, you will keep control of the targeted creature, and not just as long as you control any Manipulator.

Q: I attack with a green creature and my opponent blocks with Guardian of the Guildpact. I play Gaze of the Gorgon on my attacking creature. Will the blocking Guardian be destroyed?

A: Yes, the Guardian of the Guildpact will be destroyed at the end of the turn. It does not matter that the attacking creature is monocolored and will not deal any combat damage to the Guardian. The delayed triggered ability created by Gaze of the Gorgon only cares that the Guardian blocked the targeted creature.

Q: If I have Omnibian in play under my control, and I use its abilities on my Carven Caryatid to make it a 3/3 Frog until end of turn. Does the Carven Caryatid still have the Defender ability, or—since it became a Frog—can it now attack?

A: Omnibian does not affect the abilities of the targeted creature; it just makes it a 3/3 and a Frog. This Carven Caryatid will still have defender, and will not be able to attack.

Q: If, when my Overrule resolves, my opponent pays mana equal to X, do I still gain life?

A: Yes. You will gain X life anytime that Overrule resolves. It does not matter if the targeted spell is countered or not.

Q: A friend has Djinn Illuminatus out and plays Peel from Reality and Replicates the spell two times. He claims he can choose only one of his own creatures and three of mine to return. Is that true? Or does he have to return six creatures—three of mine and three of his?

A: What your opponent wants to do works; he can choose to have each of these Peel from Realities target the same creature that he controls. When the first Peel resolves, each of the targeted creatures will be returned to its owner's hand. Then, when the other copies resolve, the target creature he controls may not be in play any longer, but the spell will still resolve and return the target creature you control to your hand.

Q: I attack with Ghosts of the Innocent and my opponent blocks with ten 1/1 creatures. He said that they have ten combat damage together—which, divided and rounded down, is five, so they kill Ghosts of the Innocent. But my opinion is that each 1/1 will deal zero combat damage, so together they will deal no combat damage. Who is correct?

A: You are correct. Each of those individual 1/1 blockers is a separate source. When combat damage is dealt, Ghosts of the Innocent's ability will cause each of these 1/1s to deal zero damage.

Q: Will a City Of Solitude in play prevent other players from buying off my Rhystic spells?

A: No. Paying the cost associated with a Rhystic spell (like Rhystic Scrying, or Rhystic Shield) when it resolves is not 'playing a spell or activated ability.' Your opponent can choose to pay the mana when your Rhystic spells resolve.