Rules Tip of the Day: When a creature changes controllers, it is removed from combat, if it is in combat. However, if combat damage is on the stack, it will still be dealt as assigned, even to creatures that have been removed from combat.

Q: My opponent uses the ability of his Arena, targets a creature he controls, and chooses me as the opponent. Can I use the ability of my Foriysian Totem to make it a legal target for the Arena?

A: No. With he change in some Oracle text in some of the Time Spiral timeshifted cards, Arena's ability now targets. All targets of a spell or ability must be chosen when the spell or ability is put on the stack. So when Arena's ability is played, you need to target a creature you control at that time. In order to choose this Foriysian Totem, it would have to be a creature before your opponent used the ability of Arena.

Q: I use the ability of Mangara of Corondor, targeting a permanent controlled by my opponent, and immediately respond by playing Momentary Blink, targeting Mangara. Momemtary Blink resolves, and Mangara leaves and then is returned to play. When Mangara's ability resolves, will he be removed from the game?

A: No. When an object leaves one zone and goes to another it is treated as an entirely new object. The Mangara that is put into play when Momentary Blink resolves is a new Mangara and not the one whose ability was activated earlier. It may seem weird, as Mangara is Legendary, but that does not matter; this Mangara is not the same one that was in play earlier.

Q: Were I to have some Ronin Warclubs as well as Pandemonium, which effect would trigger first? Were it the Warclub, that could lead to some scary consequences.

A: It's up to you; you can make is 'scary.' Whenever a creature comes into play under your control, the abilities of the Ronin Warclubs and the ability of Pandemonium will trigger at the same time. As the controller of these triggered abilities, you determine the order that they go on the stack. Pandemonium's ability checks the power of the creature as it currently exists when the ability resolves. So you can arrange the stack so the creature will have an increased power and, therefore, deal an increased amount of damage. In order to do this, you need to put the Pandemonium triggered ability on the stack first, so it will resolve last.

Q: If I have Soul Warden and Saffi Eriksdotter in play, and I play a second Saffi Eriksdotter, can I play with the stack to stack the abilities of the three cards to gain arbitrary life? Or will state-based effects ruin all my fun?

A: State-based effects will indeed ruin your fun. Immediately after this second Saffi Eriksdotter enters play, state-based effects will be checked. When they are both Saffis will go to the graveyard before you can play any spells or abilities.

Q: I have, in play, a number of 1/1 Saprolings, a Pendelhaven Elder, and a face-up Thelonite Hermit. If I tap the Pendelhaven Elder, will my Saprolings survive a Pyroclasm?

A: Nope. When Pendelhaven Elder's ability resolves, all of these Saprolings will be 2/2 creatures due to the Thelonite Hermit, so they will not be affected by the Elder's ability.

Q: When Hypergenesis resolves, when do abilities that trigger from these permanents entering play go on the stack? Can I put Flight of Fancy into play, draw two cards, and when my opponents are done, play one of the drawn cards for free with Hypergenesis?

A: No, this does not work. The comes-into-play triggered ability of Flight of Fancy will go on the stack after Hypergenesis has completely resolved. At that point, it will be too late for you to put any additional cards directly into play.

Q: I have a Darksteel Colossus that has been removed from the game by Swords to Plowshares. If I target it with Pull from Eternity, will it be shuffled back into my library?

A: Yes. The Colossus gets shuffled back into its owners library anytime it goes to the graveyard, regardless of what zone it came from, even if it come from the removed from the game zone.

Q: I have a couple of questions about Nefarious Lich. Do "loss of life" effects affect an actual life total? Or do you lose cards from your graveyard? Say my opponent has a Cabal Archon in play and I have one card in my graveyard. If he activates the Archon, do I die from the graveyard effect? Or does it hit my original life total?

A: Loss of life effects are different from damage. In this example, your life total will be affected by the ability of Cabal Archon. Keep in mind that the Lich does not prevent you from losing the game if you have a life total of zero or below, so you can lose the game in this manner.

Q: Will Humble Budoka get a 1/1 counter from Rite of Passage when Caltrops is in play?

A: Yes. Neither Caltrops or Rite of Passage target. If this Humble Budoka attacks, it will be dealt a point of damage by Caltrops and it will get a counter from Rite of Passage due to this damage.