Rules Tip of the Day: State-based effects are not checked until after a spell or ability has completely resolved and a player receives priority. This means that if a condition for a state-based effect is met during the resolution of a spell or ability, but then this condition changes so the state-based effect is not met, no state-based action will occur.

Q: In understand that if I reveal a split card with Counterbalance's ability that the spell that triggered Counterbalance will be countered if just half of the Split card matches. Why and how is this different from Dark Confidant's ability?

A: Split cards have two sets of characteristics, and when an effect asks about these characteristics it will get both answers. The difference between what happens depends on what the effect does with these answers; one effect looks for a match and the other just wants to use the information given. Counterbalance checks to see if the converted mana cost matches the converted mana costs of the revealed card. When an effect checks to see if a characteristic of a split card matches something, it checks both sets. It is a match if just one half is the same as what you are comparing it to. Dark Confidant is a bit different; it does not check to see if a card's characteristics match anything. It asks what one of these characteristics is, and uses that information. It will, then, use both answers is receives.

Let's use Odds / Ends as an example. Counterbalance will look at Odds / Ends and counter the spell that triggered Counterbalance if it has a converted mana cost of two or five. Once again, you don't choose a side—in other words you can't choose a side in order to prevent the spell from being countered. If you reveal Odds / Ends with Dark Confidant's ability, you will use both answers given and loss two and five life, for a total of seven life lost.

Q: My opponent has suspended a Deep-Sea Kraken. The Kraken has one time counter left, and I play a spell. Can my opponent use a Jhoira's Timebug or Clockspinning to keep it suspended? Or does it come into play?

A: Yes, your opponent can do that. The ability that removes a counter from Kraken when an opponent plays a spell is a triggered ability. This triggered ability uses the stack and can be responded to. As long as you keep at least one time counter on this Deep-Sea Kraken at all times, it will remain suspended.

Q: Are cards removed from the game with Castigate or Tormod's Crypt considered 'face up,' meaning that they can be brought back with Pull From Eternity?

A: Yes. Cards are only removed from the game face down if the effect that removes them from the game specifically says so.

Q: I have Sacred Ground and Flagstone of Trokair out and my opponent plays a Flagstone of Trokair. What happens?

A: Both Flagstones go to the graveyard when state-based effects are checked, and when the triggered abilities from each Flagstone resolves, the appropriate player will be able to search for a Plains. Sacred Ground's ability will not trigger, as the rules of the game put these two lands in the graveyard, not an effect controlled by an opponent.

Q: With Repeal, can Willbender change the target to another creature of any converted mana cost, or does it have to target a creature with the same converted mana cost as the original?

A: When changing the target of a spell or ability a new legal target must be chosen. So Willbender's ability would have to change it to a creature with a the same converted mana cost if there is one in play. If there is not, Willbender's ability will do nothing and the spell will keep the target it has.

Q: My opponent has Yavimaya Dryad and Wormwood Dryad in play. He gave Wormwood Dryad swampwalk before attacking. I have Forests and Swamps in play. I cast Sudden Spoiling after both Dryads attack and before blockers are declared. Am I able to block both creatures?

A: Yes. Sudden Spoiling will remove the swampwalk ability given to Wormwood Dryad by its own ability and Yavimaya Dryad's "innate" forestwalk ability.

Q: If I imprint Shatterstorm on Panoptic Mirror, can I Replicate it multiple times, since the Mirror's ability allows me to play a copy of the card?

A: Yes. When you play the copy created by Panoptic Mirror, you can choose to pay any additional costs of that spell.

Q: What happens to Takklemaggot if the creature it is on is removed from the game? Since that creature never hit the graveyard, does the player get to choose a new target creature, or does Takklemaggot become an enchantment as normal, doing one damage to the player during their upkeep?

A: Takklemaggot will go to the graveyard and its ability that triggers when the enchanted creature goes to the graveyard will not trigger. Because of this, it will stay in the graveyard.