Rules Tip of the Day: In a multiplayer game, when a player leaves the game, all effects that granted control of a permanent to this player will end. This means that all permanents 'stolen' by this player will revert to being under the control of their previous controllers. These permanents will remain in the game (unless they belonged to that player) and will not leave the game when this player does.

Q: I have Mirari in play and I play Slaughter Pact and copy it. Will I have to pay B2 twice in order to not lose the game during my upkeep or just once?

A: You will have to pay the cost twice. Both the original and the copy Pact will generate a delayed triggered ability when they resolve. These two abilities will go on the stack at the beginning of your next upkeep step. You'll have to pay 2B when each of these abilities resoles in order to not lose the game.

Q: I cast Ana Battlemage with its blue Kicker cost, and my opponent Delays it. When the Battlemage eventually goes on the stack, will it have any previously paid Kicker costs locked in, or give me the option to repay any Kicker costs on the card?

A: You can repay Kicker costs if you are able. When this Battlemage un-Suspends, you will play it again without paying its mana cost, but any additional costs will not be automatically paid. This spell is a new spell with no connection to the previous Battlemage spell that you previously played. It will not have any of the kicker costs paid, but as you are playing it, you can choose to pay the Kicker costs.

Q: Can my opponent counter my Jester's Scepter with a Dawn Charm?

A: No, the Jester's Scepter spell does not target anything. When Jester's Scepter comes into play, its comes-into-play triggered ability will trigger and go on the stack. This ability does target a player, but it is an ability and not a spell. This ability cannot be countered by the third mode of Dawn Charm.

Q: I know that there aren't supposed to be any effects in the game that put an opponent's cards into my hand, but suppose I have a Grinning Totem in play, and I use it to search my opponent's library for a Walk the Aeons. I play the Walk the Aeons, and pay the Buyback cost. What happens?

A: It will return to its owner's hand. The Buyback ability causes a card to return to its owner's hand, not the hand of the person who played the spell or of the controller of the spell when it resolves.

Q: My Darksteel Citadel is enchanted by Kudzu. When the Citadel becomes tapped, do I get to move Kudzu to a different land? The Citadel is still there, but the enchantment never specifically states anything about leaving play, nor does it have an "If you do" clause.

A: Yes, you can move Kudzu to another land in play. When the enchanted land is tapped for mana, the enchanted land is destroyed and Kudzu is moved to another land chosen by this land's controller. The first part may not happen due to the fact that the Citadel is indestructible, but the second part of this effect will still occur.

Q: I have in play three Goblin Piledrivers. My friend has a Mogg Fanatic and a 3/4 Tarmogoyf. I Cycle Gempalm Incinerator targeting Tarmogoyf. In response, he sacrifices the Mogg Fanatic. Does the Gempalm deal three or four damage to the Tarmogoyf?

A: Just three; Gempalm Incinerator's cycling triggered ability counts the number of Goblins in play when the ability resolves.

Q: My opponent has a Chimeric Staff in play and activates its ability. I play Threaten on the Staff. Can I then stack the artifact's ability that causes it to cease being a creature, then allow Threaten's ability to end, so that no creature is there to return?

A: No for two reasons. The change-of-control effect from Threaten and the animation effect from Chimeric Staff both end at the same time, in the cleanup step of the turn. They do not end in a particular order. Also, when the control changing effect from Threaten ends, the 'stolen' permanent will return to its previous controller, even if it is not a creature at that time.

Q: My opponent has a 7/7 Arcbound Ravager. I Swords to Plowshares it. In response, he Flings the Ravager at me. In response to that, I counter with a Force of Will. Does my opponent gain life off of the Swords to Plowshares, given that Fling had him sacrifice the creature as an additional cost?

A: No, he will not gain any life. As you pointed out, the creature was sacrificed when Fling was played. Regardless of whether or not Fling resolves, the Swords to Plowshares will not resolve at all, as it will be countered on resolution.

Q: Does Manabarbs work with Drain Power?

A: Yes. Drain Power does force the targeted player to play a mana ability for each land he controls, so this will trigger Manabarbs ability.

Q: In an Grand Melee standard game with a range of influence 1, if you trigger Barren Glory during your upkeep and 'win the game,' what happens?

A: In a ruling published yesterday (in anticipation of the upcoming Grand Melee tournament at GenCon), the rules team decided that each player within your range of influence loses the game. The Comprehensive Rules will be updated to reflect this ruling in September.