Rules Tip of the Day: Know your state-based effects—If you attempt to draw a card from an empty library, you will lose the game. It is a common misconception that you lose the game when your library becomes empty; this is not true. You only lose when you are instructed to draw but cannot. This state-based effect is unique, as it cares not about the current game state, but something that happened before state-based effects are checked.

Q: In response to the last counter being removed from my opponent's Keldon Marauder I play Temporal Isolation on it. Will I still take a damage from the Marauder?

A: Yes. When the upkeep Vanishing trigger resolves, the last time counter will be removed from the Marauder. This will cause the the other Vanishing abiltiy to trigger. When this trigger resolves, the Marauder's controller will sacrifice it. This will cause the Marauder's ability to trigger. However, before this ability can go on the stack, state-based effects are checked. When this happens, the Temporal Isolation will go to the graveyard. Then the Marauder's trigger will go on the stack. When this trigger resolves, the Marauder's ability will deal a point of damage to the targeted player. The Marauder is not in play at this point, so it obviously cannot be enchanted. Because it is not enchanted by the Temporal Isolation, the damage from this ability cannot be prevented.

Q: My opponent has a suspended Deep-Sea Kraken and I have a Shivan Meteor in my hand. Is it possible for me to time the Suspend of the Meteor so that when it unsuspends, the Kraken will also unsuspend, and I can kill the Kraken with the Meteor?

A: No. When you play a spell, you choose all targets of that spell. In order to target the Kraken with the Meteor, the Kraken must be in play. This is true however you play Shivan Meteor, whether you play it normally or it unsuspends and you play it. In order for the Kraken to be in play, it will have to unsuspend before you play the Meteor.

Q: My opponent Suspends Phthisis. When the last time counter is removed, I have no creatures in play, but my opponent does. Is he forced to play the spell on his own creature, or can he target a non-existent creature and fizzle the spell?

A: When a card unsuspends, it must be played if able. As your opponent must play this spell, he must target a creature he controls. He cannot choose to either not play the spell or play it without choosing a target in order to have it become countered on resolution.

Q: I'd like to know how Exhaustion works in Two-Headed Giant games. If I play Exhaustion, does it affect both of my opponents? Or only the one I target?

A: Exhaustion targets a single player, so only the one player that is targeted will be affected. Exhaustion prevents certain permanents from untapping; it does not cause the player to skip their untap step. Because of this, the effect will not be applied to the teammate of the targeted player at all.

Q: Can Clockspinning can be played targeting a permanent without any counters on it? And if so, will it be returned to your hand if the Buyback cost was paid?

A: Clocksinning can target any permanent, it does not need to have a counter on it. However, as Clockspinning has you choose a counter on the permanent when it resolves there needs to be a counter in order for Clockspinning to have any meaningful effect. (Yes, I know that this will increase the Storm count, but there is no real effect when the Clockspinning resolves) If the Buyback cost is paid, Clockspinning will return to its owner's hand when it resolves, even if a counter was not added.

Q: I have Aetherplasm and Azorius Aethermage in play at the same time. When Aetherplasm blocks and is returned to my hand, can I use Azorius Aethermage's ability and draw a card? And if I draw a card with Azorius Aethermage and it's a creature, can I switch it with Aetherplasm?

A: Yes, the ability of Azorius Aethermage will trigger, but no, you will not be able to put this drawn card into play if it is a creature card. Azorius Aethermage's ability uses the stack. When Aetherplasm's ability resolves, you return the Aetherplasm to your hand and put a creature card into play. The ability of Azorius Aethermage may trigger when you return the Aetherplasm to your hand, but this triggered ability will not go on the stack until the Aetherplasm's ability has completely resolved and you have put a creature card, if you choose to, into play. Then, when the Aethermage's ability resolves, you can pay one mana to draw a card.

Q: Does Protean Hulk's ability include Legendary creatures, like Experiment Kraj, or only basic creatures, like Silkwing Scout?

A: Legendary is a suptertype, not a creature type. (Basic is also a supertype, but it only applies to lands.) You can search for any creature when Protean Hulk's ability resolves, not just non-Legendary ones.

Q: I just Transmuted a Dimir House Guard, found a Damnation, and revealed it, but didn't put it in my hand. Can I say, "Oops, I got the wrong card," shuffle the Damnation back into my library, find and reveal a Faith's Fetters, and put that card into my hand?

A: If you specifically took a card out of your deck and showed it to your opponent, then you completed a search for this card. You cannot take an appropriate card from your deck, show it to your opponent to get a reaction, and then decide if it is the card you want. Doing so is cheating, as you are misrepresenting the rules as to how Transmute works.