Rules Tip of the Day: Triggered abilities that trigger at the beginning of a step or phase will only trigger once, when that step or phase begins. Even if a secondary trigger condition (designated by the "intervening if" clause) is still true, or becomes true, during this step or phase, the ability will not trigger again.
Q: I've got a question about Pyromancer's Swath. What happens to damage spells with multiple targets, like Volcanic Eruption, Fire (from Fire / Ice), Fireball, or Arc Lightning? How much damage is dealt by a Volcanic Eruption with four legal targets; how much with three, two, or one target?
A: Pyromancer's Swath increases the amount of damage that an instant or sorcery spell you control would deal for each creature or play that would be affected. A Volcanic Eruption that targets four Mountains will deal six points of damage to each creature and player (assuming that all four targeted Mountains are destroyed by the Volcanic Eruption.) If it targets three Mountains, then it will deal five points of damage to each creature and player. It'll deal four damage to each creature and player if there are two targets, and three damage if it has just one target. The Fire side of Fire / Ice that targets two objects will deal 3 points of damage to each of these two targets.
Q: I cast Delay on a Chord of Calling. When the Chord resolves after the last time counter is removed, will X be zero or will X be set to its original value?
A: When the last time counter is removed, this spell will be played without having its mana cost paid. Because its mana cost is not paid, the only legal choice for the value of X will be zero.
Q: Does Imperiosaur's restriction on what mana is allowed to play him count as an ability for Muraganda Petroglyphs?
A: Yes, Imperiosaur does have an ability. This ability does not do anything when it is in play, but it is still an ability. Because of this, it will not get +2/+2 from Muraganda Petroglyphs.
Q: I have Stuffy Doll in play, enchanted by Guilty Conscience. My opponent plays Soul Link on the Doll. Does this create an infinite loop? What happens?
A: What happens depends on whose turn it is. Whenever Stuffy Doll deals damage, the first ability of Soul Link and Guilty Conscience's ability will trigger. When multiple abilities trigger at the same time, they go on the stack in APNAP (Active Player, Non-Active Player) order. This means that those controlled by the active player go on the stack in whatever order he wants, followed by those controlled by the non-active player in whatever order he wants. Then these triggered abilities will resolve in LIFO (Last In, First Out) order. In other words, the last item added to the stack will resolve first.
If you are the active player, then the Soul Link ability will resolve first. When it does, your opponent will gain life equal to the damage dealt. Then Guilty Conscience's ability will resolve and deal damage to Stuffy Doll. This will cause Soul Link's second ability to trigger and Stuffy Doll's ability to trigger. These abilities will also go on the stack in APNAP order. So first your opponent will gain life, and then your opponent will take damage. This will start this loop all over again, and the game will be a draw.
If you are not the active player then whenever Stuff Doll deals damage, Guilty Conscience's ability will resolve first. When it does, Stuffy Doll will receive damage equal to the amount of damage it dealt. As above, this will cause Soul Link's second ability and Stuffy Doll's ability to trigger. Both of these abilities will go on the stack on top of Soul Link's first ability, which has yet to resolve. However, as you are not the active player, the order that these abilities go on the stack is reversed. This means that your opponent will receive damage first. This will cause both Soul Link's first ability and Guilty Conscience's ability to trigger again. Both of these abilities will go on the stack on top of the two Soul Link abilities on the stack. In this situation your opponent will continually take damage but not gain any life. So you will win in this example.
Q: What happens when I have two Breath of Fury cards in play? For example: I have four 1/1 Saprolings in play, two of which are enchanted with Breath of Fury. My opponent has no creatures on the table. I attack, and my creatures are not blocked. I then sack my two enchanted Saprolings and reattach the enchantments to the two remaining Saprolings. At this point in time, have I earned one extra combat phase or two? Does the situation change if I have two copies of Breath of Fury enchanting one creature?
A: In the first example, the abilities of these two enchantments will resolve separately. When they do, you will untap your creatures twice in this turn and then take two additional combat phases this turn. However, the result is different if both of these Auras were attached to the same creature. If that were to happen, then when you resolved the first Breath of Fury ability, you would sacrifice the enchanted creature. This would cause the second Breath of Fury to "fall off" and go to the graveyard. Then, when its triggered ability resolved, you would not be able to sacrifice the enchanted creature or move this copy of Breath of Fury to another creature. So you'd only get one extra combat phase in your second example.
Q: My opponent is playing Hulk Flash. He resolves Flash, puts Protean Hulk into play, and does not pay the extra costs. Protean Hulk is heading towards the graveyard; can his ability be countered with Stifle, Sudden Spoiling, or Trickbind?
A: When Flash resolves the Hulk will enter and then leave play. Then, after Flash has resolved, the Hulk's triggered ability will go on the stack. Protean Hulk's leaves-play triggered ability can be countered by Stifle or Trickbind, but Sudden Spoiling will not do anything, as the Hulk will not be in play when Sudden Spoiling resolves.
Q: In a Two-Headed Giant game, if my team is at three life and I am holding a Street Wraith, am I allowed to cycle it?
A: Yes. When spending life you consider your entire team total. Effects that apply to an individual team member's life total use 1/2 of the team total rounded up, but paying life as a cost does not work like this.
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