Rules Tip of the Day: Reminder text on cards is just that, a reminder. It is not rules text; it is only there to serve as a general description of how the ability works. Occasionally, reminder text for a keyword ability does not fit on a card. In these instances, the keyword ability works the same as it does on other cards.

Q: A friend is saying that if he phases a Dark Depths out with Reality Ripple, it will come back without any counters on it. I say that doesn't work, but he doesn't believe me. As I've always understood it, phasing "remembers" all of the information (counters, Auras, etc) about the permanent whenever it phases in/out. Am I right?

A: Yes, you are correct. When a permanent phases out and then back into play it will remember its history and come back into play with the same counters it left play with.

Q: My opponent has no cards in his hand and I have two Blizzard Specters out. If I attack with both of them and both deal damage to him, can I choose to have one make him return a permanent to his hand and to have the other make him discard a card, to make him discard the permanent he returns?

A: Yes, when these two triggered abilities go on the stack you can choose to have one cause this player to return a card to his hand and the other to cause him to discard. Make sure that the ability that goes on the stack first is the one that has him discard, as this ability will end up resolving last.

Q: Will Swift Silence counter a Storm spell like Mind's Desire, and all of the copies it makes? And if it does, would I draw one card or a card for each copy of Mind's Desire?

A: Yes it can, provided you play Swift Silence after the Storm trigger has resolved. Storm copies are not put on the stack until this Storm triggered ability has resolved. If you play Swift Silence before the Storm ability resolves, you'll only draw one card for the original Mind's Desire. If you do wait and counter the original Mind's Desire and the copies, then you will draw a card for the original and the countered copies.

Q: I don't have any cards in hand. I draw a Demonfire and play it for ten. My opponent plays Commandeer and chooses to have Demonfire target me. Is this legal? Will I receive ten points of damage?

A: Yes. The Hellbent ability of Demonfire does not prevent your opponent from gaining control of the Demonfire spell or the target of Demonfire from being changed. In this example, Demonfire will resolve and deal ten points of damage to you.

Q: If I attack with a 50/50 and my opponent blocks with Phytohydra, will it be a 51/51 if it was a 1/1, or will it only get damage equal to its toughness?

A: The Phytohydra will get fifty +1/+1 counters. It does not matter that it only has a toughness of one, it will be dealt fifty points of damage in this example.

Q: If I have Privileged Position and my opponent uses Multani's Decree, would all my enchantments still get destroyed, since they're not being targeted, or would only Privileged Position and all my opponent's enchantments get destroyed?

A: Multini's Decree does nto target anything, so the Privileged Position and all other enchantments in play, including all others you control, will be destroyed.

Q: Which is the converted mana cost of a Erayo, Sorotami Ascendant after it is flipped (Erayo's Essence): zero or two? Can be an Erayo's Essence be destroyed with an Engineered Explosives with 0 counters on it?

A: When flipped, a permanent does not gain a new converted mana cost, so it will retain the same one it had when unflipped. This means that the converted mana cost of Erayo's Essence is two, and it will not be destroyed by Engineer's Explosives ability in this example.

Q: I have Carrion Feeder and another 1/1 creature. I attack my opponent with them. He blocks the Feeder with a Grizzly Bears and the 1/1 with another 1/1 creature. I sacrifice my 1/1 creature to Carrion Feeder, which boosts it to 2/2. Can I kill both my opponent's creatures?

A: No, you'll be able to deal lethal damage to one or the other, but not both. If you sacrifice your 1/1 creature before combat damage is put on the stack then it will not deal any combat damage, and the 1/1 blocking it will survive. If you sacrifice it after combat damage is put on the stack, the Carrion Feeder will only deal one point of damage, as its power was one when combat damage was put on the stack. In this second scenario, the blocking Grizzly Bears will survive.

Q: If I use Grinning Totem's ability, do I have to pay the mana cost of the card I choose from my opponent's deck?

A: Yes, you do not get to play this card without paying its mana cost.