Q: I have a few questions involving Volrath's Shapeshifter. I was wondering how it interacted with cards on top of the graveyard like Palinchron and Uktabi Orangutan. I was also wanted to know when creatures are sacrificed to Phyrexian Dreadnaught, and if you cast Shapeshifter while it's on top of the graveyard do you have to sacrifice creatures.

Thanks in advance,
- Carl Winter

A: Carl,

If the top card of your graveyard is a creature and you play the Shapeshifter, it will come into play as a copy of that creature, so any coming-into-play triggers will happen - whether they're good or bad for you. Any "comes into play with" or "as this comes into play" effects will not happen, because those occur before the copying effect. Once the Shapeshifter is in play, it will not trigger coming-into-play abilities when it changes forms.

You're welcome,
Sheldon

Q: Does bringing Pyre Zombie to your hand from the graveyard cause Warped Devovtion to activate?

A: No. Warped Devotion reads, "Whenever a permanent is returned to a player's hand, that player discards a card from his or her hand." By definition (214.3), a permanent is only a permanent when it is in the In Play Zone. If you want to get wordy, Warped Devotion would read "Whenever a card or token is moved from the In Play Zone to a player's Hand Zone, that player puts a card from his Hand Zone into his Graveyard Zone." Obviously, that wouldn't read particularly well on the card. See Section 217 for more info on Zones.

Q: Hello, I think this would work; I would just like to conform it.

My opponent attacks me with Blastoderm and I have no creatures in play. Can I cast Fleetfoot Panther and declare him as a blocker and than gate him back into my hand before damage resolves?

I know I can pick the Panther as the creature to gate back into my hand; I'm just unsure whether I'm able to declare him as blocker before I have to gate him back.

Thanks,
- Russ

A: Sorry, Russ, that doesn't work. When the Panther comes into play, the Gating trigger automatically goes on the stack. If you play it after attackers are declared, it will resolve before you have the opportunity to declare blockers. During the Declare Blockers Step (309), there's no opportunity for priority until after the entire set of blockers has been declared. If you play the Panther after that, he can't be included in the block.

Good luck against those Blastoderms!
- Sheldon

Q: Sheldon-

I was wondering exactly how the Quirion Dryad's (1G rare creature from Planeshift) ability works in relation to multicolor spells. To use an example, if you were to cast a Meddling Mage, would you get one or two +1/+1 counters?

Also, a quick question on copy creatures such as Vesuvan Doppelganger, Volrath's Shapeshifter, etc... When they change forms, do they get summoning sickness? I've scoured crystalkeep and the MTG rulebook, but can't seem to find the answer in the sea of errata associated with these types of cards.

Thanks,
- Mike in OH

A: Hey, Mike in Ohio!
Since only one spell is played, the Dryad only gets one counter (Planeshift FAQ).

When copy creatures change forms, they don't have summoning sickness since they've already been in play since the beginning of your turn.
Rulings on copy cards are indeed difficult to find. You'll find the best answers right here on "Ask the Judge!"

Sheldon

Q: Sheldon,

A question or two about Shifting Sky:

1. I have in play Shifting Sky (red the color named) and Crimson Acolyte. My opponent casts Stormscape Battlemage with its 2B kicker (When Stormscape Battlemage comes into play, if you paid the 2B kicker cost, destroy target nonblack creature. That creature can't be regenerated), attempting to target my Acolyte. What color is the effect: Blue or red? I suspect blue, but would like the official take on the matter.

2. I have in play Shifting Sky (red the color named) and I play a second Shifting Sky, naming black. Are all permanents now red, black, or both?

Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
- Erik Impson

A: Erik,

1. Continuous effects that modify the characteristics of permanents do so as the permanent enters play; they don't wait until it comes into play and then change it (418.2). That means the Battlemage comes into play as a red creature; any effect it generates is red. It can't legally target the Acolyte due to his Protection from Red.

2. The latest effect "wins." Neither Shifting Sky depends on the other, so they're applied in timestamp order (418.5c and 418.5d). Everything is black.

Sheldon