Rules Tip of the Day: When a permanent with a static ability leaves play, continuous effects from this ability will end.

Q: I play Tarmogoyf with a Dryad Arbor in my graveyard. Is it a 1/2 or a 2/3?

A: It would be a 2/3, as Dryad Arbor is both a land and a creature card. The fact that it is just one card does not matter; Tarmogoyf's ability counts the number of card types that are in all graveyards and does not care about the number of cards.

Q: If I remove Reality Strobe from the game to play Snapback without paying it's casting cost, would it get three time counters?

A: No. Reality Strobe only gets time counters if you pay its Suspend cost, if it resolves and it gives itself time counters, or if some other effect, like Delay, gives it time counters. Just because it was removed from the game does not mean that it will gain time counters.

Q: If I have a Nacatl War-Pride and Mortipede in play and I pay for Mortipede's ability and attack with both, do all the defending player's creatures block Mortipede, or does one still have to block Nacatl War-Pride?

A: What happens is somewhat up to the defending player. When these two creatures attack, there will be multiple blocking requirements created, one per blocker for the Mortipede and one for each attacking War-Pride token. However, not all of them can be fulfilled. Your opponent can block any way he wants as long as he is fulfilling as many blocking requirements as he can. Each available blocker can fulfill one requirement by blocking Mortipede or one requirement by blocking a War-Pride creature. In the end, as long as each available blocker is blocking and no War-Prides are double blocked, the block is legal.

Q: At a tournament this past Saturday, I was faced with an interesting interaction that I believe may have been ruled in error. My opponent cast Take Possession on my Epochrasite. It was ruled that if Epochrasite died, my opponent would get to choose under who's control he came back under. Is this right?

A: No, that is incorrect. Cards in the removed from game zone do not have controllers, but they do still have owners. As you are the owner of this card, its Suspend ability will trigger at the beginning of your upkeep steps, and you will be the one to play it when it loses its last time counter. This is not a choice that can be made by the person who controlled the Epocrasite when it left play.

Q: Can Deepfire Elemental target land creatures, or any other creatures with converted mana costs of zero?

A: Yes, you can target any artifact or creature with Deepfire Elemental's ability. To destroy a creature with a converted mana cost of zero you'll only have to pay one colorless mana.

Q: I need to know how Izzet Guildmage works in conjuction with Snap. Can I cast Snap, untap two lands, then pay 2B to copy it and repeat the process?

A: That does not work unless you play Snap and then make a copy of it before the original Snap resoles. If you wait for the original to resolve to untap lands, then it will be too late to target Snap with the Guildmage's ability, as the spell will have left the stack by the time you receive priority. However, when this copy resolves you will untap two lands and you can continue the loop. So this combo does work; you'll just need some additional mana to get it started.

Q: If a creature with Vigilance is tapped by a Gigadrowse would it still be able to block or attack?

A: No, only untapped creatures can attack or block. Vigilance does not change this.

Q: I am attacking someone with a 1/1 made unblockable with Minamo Sightbender. After I declare him as an attacker, I play Giant Growth on the 1/1, making him a 4/4. Is he still unblockable?

A: Yes. Minamo Sightbender's ability only cares about the power of the targeted creature when the ability is played and when it resolves. It does not matter that if the power of the targeted creature is increased after the ability resolves; this creature will still be unblockable.

Q: My opponent has two copies of Sphere of Resistance in play. I control a Swamp and an Island, and I want to play an Engineered Explosives so that it has one counter. Can I choose a value of -1 for X, making the cost of the spell 1?

A: No. Whenever you choose a number in Magic you must choose a real positive whole number.

Q: My brother and I were playing EDH and I had Presence of the Master in play. He attacked with Zur the Enchanter. Can he put an enchantment into play via Zur, or will Presence of the Master counter it?

A: When Zur's triggered ability resolves, its controller may search their library for an enchantment card and put it into play. This enchantment is not played, so it cannot be countered. (And I'll thank you on behalf of Sheldon for playing EDH)