Rules Tip of the Day: Giving a card with no mana cost a Flashback or Replicate cost equal to its mana cost will end up giving this card a non-existent alternate or additional cost. You cannot pay this non-existent cost, just as you cannot pay the normal non-existent mana cost.

Q: My opponent made Scion of the Ur-Dragon a copy of Bogardan Hellkite and then played a Momentary Blink targeting the Scion, thinking that, since state-based effects are not checked during the resolution of the spell, the Scion of the Ur-Dragon would remain a copy of Bogardan Hellkite and that his comes-into-play ability would deal five damage. My thought was that since Scion of the Ur-Dragon went to the removed from game zone, when he came back he would be Scion of the Ur-Dragon and would not have the ability from Bogardan Hellkite.

A: You are correct. When Scion of the Ur-Dragon reenters play, it is just a Scion of the Ur-Dragon. It is a new creature with no connection to any effects that were applied to it when it was previously in play.

Q: If I use Vesuva to copy a Forest, does it count as a non-basic land (for Blood Moon or Wilderness Elemental)?

A: Vesuva becomes an exact copy, which means that it copies the land's suptertype. So this Vesuva / Forest will not be affected by Blood Moon and the ability of your opponent's Wilderness Elemental will not count it.

Q: If I have a Mystic Snake in play, can I play Clone as a copy of Mystic Snake my opponent's turn to counter a spell?

A: No. Clone does not become a copy of the chosen creature until the Clone spell resolves and it enters play. In order to play this Clone when you could play an instant you'd have to have some other effect change when you can play it.

Q: If I had Ib Halfheart, Goblin Tactician in play, and I equipped a Goblin Grappler with a Kusari-Gama, what would happen? Would the Goblin deal four damage to every creature the opposing player had in play, or would it be sacrificed, and thus un-equipped, before the damage was dealt?

A: When Ib Halfheart's ability resolves, the sacrificed Goblin is not in play and is therefore not equipped. Because the appropriate trigger condition is not met, the ability of Kusari-Gama will not trigger. So only the creature that blocked the Goblin will receive four points of damage.

Q: My opponent has a True Believer in play and I want to use the ability on Urborg Syphon-Mage to have him lose two life. Can I still do this?

A: Yes, the ability of Urborg Syphon-Mage does not target. A player that cannot be targeted will still lose two life.

Q: Can Clockspinning add a divinity counter to Myojin of Life's Web?

A: Yes, as long as there is already a divinity counter on the Myojin. If it does not have a divinity counter on it, then you cannot.

Q: Player A controls a Dimir Doppelganger, and uses the ability to doppel into Circu, Dimir Lobotomist. Player A plays some blue and black spells, using Circu's ability to stop Player B from playing certain cards. As the game continues, the Doppelganger transforms into other creatures. Eventually, another copy of Circu ends up in the graveyard and the Dimir Doppelganger becomes Circu once more. My question involves the cards that were removed from the game when the Dimir Doppelganger was copying Circu earlier. Does the 'can't play' ability apply once again for those cards, now that Doppel-Circu is back, even though he wasn't Circu for a while?

A: This Doppleganger / Circu is the same permanent that removed those cards when it was a copy of Circu earlier, so those removed cards will not be able to be played. It does not matter that the characteristics of the Doppelganger changed and then changed back.

Q: If you have Cloudstone Curio in play can you bounce a creature back when an Ornithopter comes into play?

A: No. An Ornithopter is a creature, but because it is also an artifact it is not a non-artifact. So Cloudstone Curio's ability will not trigger in this example.

Q: If I cast Meditate and Time Walk in the same turn which happens next turn?

A: The additional turn generated by Time Walk you get will cancel out the one you skip, so the turn order will proceed as normal.

Q: A player has 15 Clerics on the board and he sacrifices a Doubtless One to activate Starlit Sanctum to make a player lose life. In response, his opponent casts Evacuation bouncing all of the remaining Clerics to his hand. How much life does the target player lose?

A: Fifteen. The Doubtless One is sacrificed when the ability of Starlit Sanctum is used. The game will use the last known information about this Cleric when the ability resolves. It doesn't matter that at this point there are no other Clerics in play, the power of the Doubtless One when it left play was 15, so the targeted player will lose 15 life.