Rules Tip of the Day: When making a copy of an object, you do not copy most effects that are applied to the original.
Q: I use Fatal Frenzy on my Phyrexian Totem after I have changed it to a creature. Can I have it go back to being an artifact at the end of turn before the ability from Fatal Frenzy kicks in, so that I don't have to sacrifice it?
A: No, you will end up having to sacrifice this permanent. First of all, Phryexian Totem's ability will last until the cleanup step of the current turn. Before that is the end of turn step, when you will have to sacrifice the Totem, which will be a creature at that point. However, even if for some reason the Totem was 'de-animated', you'd still have to sacrifice it. When Fatal Frenzy resolves, it creates a delayed triggered ability that causes you to sacrifice the targeted permanent in the end of turn step. The spell can only target a creature, but the delayed triggered ability will force you to sacrifice this permanent regardless of whether it is a creature or not.
Q: My opponent unmorphs a Vesuvan Shapeshifter, copying his Brine Elemental. I have a Mirror Golem with an imprinted Willbender giving it protection from creatures and their abilities. Can Mirror Golem untap during my turn, since he is protected from Brine Elemental/Vesuvan Shapeshifter's abilities?
A: No. Brine Elemental's ability does not target anything. Brine Elemental's morph triggered ability does not deal damage, it is not a local enchantment or piece of equipment, it has nothing to do with creature combat, and it does not target. Your Mirror Golem will not untap; it does not matter that it has protection from creatures.
Q: Can you activate Horizon Canopy's draw ability or Ghost Quarter's ability, and with that ability on the stack, cycle Edge of Autumn, sacrificing Horizon Canopy or Ghost Quarter to pay for the cycling cost?
A: No. You sacrifice a land when you play Edge of Autumn's cycling ability. The Edge of Autumn may be on the stack waiting to resolve, but the lands you sacrificed have already left play and you cannot sacrifice a permanent that is not in play.
Q: I play Yawgmoth's Will. Can I play an Ancestral Visions from my graveyard?
A: No. Yawgmoth's Will allows you to play cards in your graveyard, but you still need to pay their mana costs. You cannot play a spell without a mana cost unless an effect allows you to play it without paying its mana cost. So unless some other effect is applied that allows you to play a spell without paying its mana cost, you cannot play the Ancestral Visions in your graveyard.
Q: A ruling for Twincast says that I cannot pay any additional costs for the copy, but effects based on additional costs already paid for the target spell are copied. Does this mean that if I play Whispers of the Muse and pay Buyback, then play Twincast, will Twincast go back into my hand as well?
A: No. Twincast does not become a copy of the targeted spell; it makes a copy of the targeted spell. This copy is not represented by anything. When this copy resolves, it will go to your hand, but it will cease to exist when state-based effects are checked.
Q: If I have Sensei's Divining Top in play and tap it to draw a card, but then I activate Words of Wisdom and gain life instead of drawing a card, must I still put Sensei's Divining Top on top of my library?
A: Yes. Even though you are replacing the draw portion of Sensei's Divining Top's ability, you still need to resolve the remainder of the ability. You may not actually draw a card, but you do have to put the Top on top of your library.
Q: Two Savannah Lions and a Mother of Runes are in play under my control. My opponent plays Undo targeting both Lions. In response, I give one Lion protection from blue with Mother of Runes. Does the whole spell fizzle so both Lions remain in play?
A: No, Undo has two targets. In order to cause a spell or ability to become countered on resolution, you must make all of its targets illegal. In this example, one of Undo's targets is still legal, so it will do as much as possible when it resolves. This means that one of the targeted Savannah Lions will be returned to its owner's hand.
Q: My friend and I were playing our Tooth and Nail decks against each other, and we reached a point where we each have a Darksteel Colossus, but I also have a Triskelion and a Mephidross Vampire. I attack with my Colossus, he blocks, and I use the Trisk / Meph combo to deal 11 points of damage to his Colossus. Is this 11 points considered "lethal damage?" Can I trample through to him?
A: Yes. Indestructible creatures do not go to the graveyard when they receive lethal damage, but the damage on them does accumulate. This matters when calculating how to assign damage from an attacking creature with Trample to a blocking indestructible creature. You can choose to assign all 11 points of damage from your attacking Darksteel Colossus to the defending player as the blocking Darksteel Colossus has received what would normally be lethal damage.
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