Rules Tip of the Day: You can only discard a card that is actually in your hand. There are many effects that allow you to play cards as though they were in your hand, but that does not mean they are in your hand.

Q: Pandemonium is already in play. A player casts Pact of the Titan to create a 4/4 red Giant creature token. Pandemonium's triggered ability goes on the stack and the Giant's owner selects an opponent's Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir as the target. Teferi's owner plays Sudden Death targeting the 4/4 creature token. No other spells or abilities are played. How much damage is dealt to Teferi?

A: In this example the Sudden Death will resolve first and make this token creature a 0/0. It will then go to the graveyard after Sudden Death resolves. Then Pandemonium's ability will resolve and deal zero damage to your Teferi. When Pandemonium's ability resolves, it deals damage equal to the creature's current power, or the last known power of this creature if it is not longer in play. As the power of the token when it left play was zero, zero damage will be dealt.

Q: If Player A plays any of the Pact spells, and Player B counters it, does Player A have to pay the Pact cost during their next upkeep?

A: No, if a Pact spell is countered, it does not create a delayed triggered ability. It is when the delayed triggered ability created by a Pact resolves that the player must pay the cost or lose the game.

Q: Recently a situation occured with the card Epochrasite. When the creature in question died, my opponent attempted to [[Extirpate] the Epochrasite with the goes-to-graveyard trigger on the stack. Does the Epochrasite RFG with or without counters?

A: It will be removed from the game without three time counters. Epochrasite only gains Suspend and is removed from the game with time counters when its leaves-play ability resolves. However, if Epochrasite is removed from the graveyard before this trigger resolves, then it cannot gain Suspend or the coutners. It does not matter that it is being removed from the game anyway.

Q: If I control a Veilstone Amulet and announce a spell, can my opponent respond by using his creature's activated abilities on my creatures?

A: Yes. Veilstone Amulet's ability is a triggered ability that uses the stack. When you play a spell, this ability will go on the stack on top of this spell. Your opponent can target creatures you control at this point, before this ability resolves.

Q: If I control two Sulfur Elementals and I try to rescue one with Whitemane Lion, my Lion will die for having zero toughness when it comes into play, and one of my Elementals will return to my hand?

A: Yes. This Whitemane Lion will come into play at a 4/0 creature. Before its comes-into-play triggered ability can go on the stack, state-based effects will be checked. At this point, the Lion will go to the graveyard. Its comes-into-play ability will still resolve and you can return one of your Sulfur Elementals to your hand.

Q: Cloudstone Curio is in play under my control and Reality Acid and Faith's Fetters are in my graveyard. My opponent has Silhana Ledgewalker in play. I play Retether. Since I am the active player and thus choose the order of effects that should occur simultaneously, can I choose to put the Reality Acid into play first, enchanting the Silhana Ledgewalker, followed by Faith's Fetters, to trigger Cloudstone Curio and bounce Reality Acid back to my hand? I think this would gain me four life and make my opponent sacrifice his Silhana Ledgewalker.

A: The fact that you are the active player and choose the order that these two enchantments come into play does not matter. In fact, you can return both the Faith's Fetters and the Reality Acid to your hand. Here's how it works. When Retether resolves, both of the Auras will be put into play enchanting the Ledgewalker. When they come into play, Cloudstone Curio's ability will trigger twice, once for each of these Auras. After Rether has completely resolved, these two triggered abilities and Faith's Fetters comes-into-play ability will go on the stack. When each of Cloudstone Curio's abilities resolves you can return one of the enchantments to your hand. When you return the Reality Acid to your hand, its leaves-play ability will trigger. When this ability resolves, your opponent will sacrifice the Ledgewalker.

Q: Is Condemn's targeting restriction checked on resolution? If an attacking creature stops attacking before Condemn resolves does the spell fizzle?

A: Yes, the targeting restriction must be true in order for Condemn to be played and this restriction is checked when Condemn goes to resolve. Comdemn will be countered on resolution if the targeted creature leaves combat before Condemn resolves.

Q: If I sacrifice my Defense of the Heart to find Sakashima, the Imposter and Multani, Maro-Sorcerer, can I copy Multani with Sakashima?

A: No. Both of the creatures that are put into play by Defense of the Heart's ability enter play at the same time. As Sakashima the Imposter enters play, you must choose a creature that is already in play to copy, if you do intend to copy something. At this point the Multani that is entering play with Sakashima is obviously not in play and cannot be chosen.

Q: A player Control Magics my Shivan Wumpus. Am I able to sacrifice one of my lands when it comes into play on my opponent's side to put the Wumpus back on top of my deck?

A: No. This Wumpus is not coming into play, it is already in play. It is just changing controllers.