Rules Tip of the Day: When calculating the characteristics of a permanent, you start with the "base" characteristics of that permanent then you apply continuous effects in the following order: 1) Copy, 2) Control, 3) Text changing, 4) Type Changing 5) all other effects not applied in another layer 6) Power and Toughness effects.

Q: I have a Jhoira's Timebug in play and a Lavacore Elemental with one time counter on it. On my next upkeep step, the Vanishing ability triggers; what will happen if I use my Jhoira's Timebug to remove the time counter in response to the Vanishing ability? Will my creature stay alive forever because he doesn't have any more time counters to remove?

A: No. Vanishing is actually two triggered abilities. Anytime you remove the last time counter from a creature with Vanishing, the triggered ability that causes you to sacrifice this creature will go on the stack. This ability does not just trigger when you remove a time counter in the upkeep step when the other Vanishing triggered ability resolves. So you will still have to sacrifice this creature.

Q: If I have Magus of the Mirror in play and then I play Bond of Agony, can I put the Bond on the stack after I pay X life and then use Magus' ability? For example, I have 20 life, my opponent has 20 life; I play Bond of Agony for 10, then use Magus of the Mirror's ability to put my opponent down to 10 life, then Bond of Agony resolves.

A: That would work if Bond of Agony were an instant or is there was not a restriction on when you could play Magus of the Mirror's ability. But because Bond of Agony is a sorcery and Magus of the Mirror ability can only be used in your upkeep step, this combo does not work.

Q: A recent draft gave rise to a situation that caused some disagreement among my play group. One player controls Essence Sliver and a number of other Slivers. During his attack, he sends in Basal Sliver, which gets blocked. He attempted to put damage on the stack, then sacrifice Basal Sliver for mana. The question is whether he gains life for the damage that Basal Sliver did when damage resolves. Some in the group believed that Basal Sliver's no longer being around meant that it did not. Others felt that the game "remembers" that the damage done was from Basal Sliver, and thus Essence Sliver would trigger. What's the real deal?

A: The "others" in this situation are correct. Essence Sliver is different than most Slivers, in that it has an ability that triggers when any Sliver deals damage, rather than giving each Sliver the Armadillo Cloak ability. When combat damage is dealt, the game will use last known information about the Basal Sliver and see it was a Sliver when they left play. Because of this, Essence Sliver's ability will trigger.

Q: Suppose I have Rule of Law or Arcane Laboratory in play. What happens if two copies of Errant Ephemeron are set to lose their final Suspend counter, and thus be played, simultaneously?

A: They are not played simultaneously; you would normally play them both one at a time. At the beginning of this upkeep step the Suspend abilities of both of these Suspended cards will trigger. Whichever has its last time counter removed first will be played. Then the other has its last time counter removed from it. However, as you have already played a spell this turn, you will be prohibited from playing this one. Because of this, this second card will remain removed from the game.

Q: I use my Thundersong Trumpeter's effect before combat phase, and my opponent kills it before combat. Does the effect preventing the target creature from attacking/blocking remain despite the Thundersong Trumpeter's demise?

A: The effect generated by Thundersong Trumpeter's ability is applied regardless of whether or not the Trumpeter is in play. Once the ability resolves, the targeted creature will not be able to attack or block this turn, regardless of where the Trumpeter is.

Q: If Sword of Fire and Ice is equipped to a creature that deals damage to a player, can the two points of damage that the Sword of Fire and Ice deals be dealt to a target creature that has protection from the equipped creature's colors?

A: Yes. The source of the ability and the damage is the Sword of Fire an Ice, not the equipped creature.

Q: Does Sphere of Resistance affect the cost for cycling a card?

A: No. Sphere of Resistance only raises the cost to play a spell. Cycling a card is using an activated ability, not playing a spell.

Q: I have a Kilnmouth Dragon with three +1/+1 counters on it. After I activate its ability, my opponent responds by playing Terror. What happens? Does its ability deal damage?

A: When the Dragon's ability resolves, the game will use last-known information about the Dragon and deal damage to the targeted creature or player equal to the number of +1/+1 counters that were on the Dragon when it left play.

Q: If there is a Mana Web in play, and I tap Azorius Chancery, do I tap all my Plains and Islands?

A: Yes. Mana Web's ability depends on the types of mana that the land you tapped can produce; the names or subtype of these lands does not matter. Azorious Chancery can produce white and blue mana, so you will have to tap all lands you control that can produce white or blue mana.

Q: If I'm playing in Two-Headed Giant, and an opponent plays Evangelize, does that player get to dictate which of us chooses a creature, or can either my teammate or myself choose one of our creatures? Since it only says "Gain control of target creature of an opponent's choice that he or she controls", the wording is a little ambiguous.

A: The controller of Evangelize must choose an opponent when he plays Evangelize. This chosen opponent will then choose a creature he controls as the target of Evangelize.