Rules Tip of the Day: Token creatures are creatures in every way. They are counted by effects that count creatures. Any effects that are applied to creatures will be applied to token creatures.

Q: I missed Pestilence the first time around, so I'm wondering how exactly this card works. Simply put, does Pyrohemia's wording mean that it checks for creatures once, at the end of turn, and then, no matter how many creatures come into play (Flash, Astral Slide, or so on) before the 'sacrifice Pyrohemia' trigger resolves, the Pyrohemia is gone, gone, gone? Or does it check for creatures when it triggers, and on resolution?

A: Pyrohemia's triggered ability has what is referred to as the "intervening if" clause. Triggered abilities with this cause will only trigger if the condition is true. Then, when the ability resolves, the ability will recheck to see if this condition is still met. If it is, then the ability will resolve as normal. If it is not, then the ability will fail to do anything. So you can "save" Pyrohemia by getting a creature into play after its end-of-turn triggered ability has triggered and gone on the stack.

Q: If I have both Life and Limb and Sacred Ground in play, and my opponent destroys the Saproling tokens I control, which are also Forests because of Life and Limb, are they in the graveyard long enough to return to play with Sacred Ground? Or do the tokens just disappear as normal?

A: While Sacred Ground's ability will trigger when these Saproling Tokens go to your graveyard, once tokens leave play, they cannot return to play. In fact, these token creatures will cease to exist before Sacred Ground's ability can resolve.

Q: What happens when Life and Limb is in play, and another spell or ability messes with lands, like Natural Affinity or Jolrael, Empress of Beasts?

A: You will apply these "animation" effects in timestamp order. In the examples given, your lands and Saproling lands will become 2/2 creatures after Natural Affinity resolves, and they will become 3/3 creatures after resolving Jolrael's ability. If Life and Limb were to come into play after you have resolved Natural Affinity or Jolrael's ability, then your "normal" lands would have a power and toughness of 1/1 and the P/T of your Saprolings would be unaffected. This is because the effects from Jolrael's ability and Natural Affinity only apply to those permanents that were lands when those two spells or abilities resolved. So in any case, you apply these effects in timestamp order as there is no dependency.

Q: If you target a Ravnica bounce land like Boros Garrison with Vesuva, do you need to return a land? I don't think you do.

A: First of all, Vesuva's ability does not target; you simply choose a land as Vesuva comes into play. You can choose a land that cannot be targeted.

And, no, you are not correct. You will have to return a land to your hand. The Vesuva will come into play as an exact copy of the chosen land. The only difference is that the Vesuva always comes into play tapped. If it comes into play as a copy of a Boros Garrison, then its comes-into-play ability will trigger. When this ability resolves, you will have to return a land to your hand.

Q: I had a quick question about the ability on Sunforger. It states that when you unattach it, you can search for an instant of four mana or less and play it. Does this mean that you can search for creatures with Flash, as you can play them any time you can play a instant?

A: No. Creature cards with Flash can be played when you could play instants, but that does not mean that they are instant cards. Sunforger's ability has you search for actual instants, not just cards that can be played when you can play instants.

Q: If I use Nivix, Aerie of the Firemind's ability and remove a sorcery card, can I only play it on my turn, or can I play it during my opponent's turn?

A: Nivix's ability does not change when you can play the card that you remove from the game, it only change the zone that you can play this card from.

Q: If I have Isochron Scepter with an imprinted Counterspell, and my opponent plays Chalice of the Void for two, can I still counter other spells using the Scepter's ability by paying two mana?

A: You can activate the Scepter's ability, and you can play the copy of Counterspell made by the this ability. However, Chalice of the Void's ability will trigger when you play this copy, and counter it.

Q: I have a Mindslicer in play and play Skulltap. Which effect would come first? Would I have to discard my hand first, or would I draw two cards, then discard my hand?

A: When you play Skulltap it will go on the stack first. As you are sacrificing the Mindslicer as you play this spell, Mindslicer's triggered ability will go on the stack on top of the Skulltap spell. Because spells and abilities on the stack resolve in LIFO (last in, first out) order, Mindslicer's triggered ability will resolve first, causing each player to discard their hand. Then Skulltap will resolve and you will draw two cards.