Rules Tip of the Day: Go to a large Magic event, even if you aren't invited to play in the main event. There are always side events and plenty of opportunities to play Magic. At a minimum, it is fun watching the best in the game play.

Q: When playing a Kavu Predator and using Grove of the Burnwillows to pay for it, can you stack the gain life ability of Grove of the Burnwillows in such a way that the life gain would resolve after the Kavu has come into play, so that it effectively comes in as a 3/3?

A: No. That life gain occurs when the mana ability resolves. If you tapped this Grove to generate red or green mana, then your opponent will gain one life as soon as you get this mana.

Q: I have Gauntlet of Might in play with green as the chosen color, as well as Life and Limb and some Saproling tokens. Will these Saproling tokens be able to tap for two green mana?

A: No. Gauntlet of Might only causes basic lands to generate an additional mana when they create mana of the chosen type. These saproling tokens have the subtype of Forest, but they are not basic lands. Your actual Forests will be able to generate two greeen mana, but the Saprolings will only generate one.

Q: I have a Seedborn Muse and Merieke Ri Berit in play. Merieke is tapped and has stolen a creature controlled by another player. Does Merieke untap in my opponent's untap phase ?

A: Yes. Merieke Ri Berit's ability only prevents it from untapping in your untap step as permanents normally do. Seedborn Muse will cause your Merieke to untap in your opponent's untap step and will then destroy the stolen creature.

Q: What happens if I want to destroy a Standstill with a Krosan Grip? Or if I tried to destroy any other enchantment or artifact while a Standstill is in play?

A: In both situations the Standstill ability will trigger and go on the stack on top of the Krosan Grip. Split Second prevents spells and non-mana abilities from being played; it doe not prevent triggered abilities from triggering, going on the stack, or resolving. In this example, your opponents will each be able to draw three cards. If you targeted the Standstill, then it will be sacrificed when its trigger resolves, so your Krosan Grip will become countered on resolution.

Q: I have just played the Research half of Research / Development. My opponent has two Jester's Scepters in play. I know from recently searching through my deck that two Glittering Wishes are removed by the Scepters. Am I able to target the Wishes under his Scepters with my Research?

A: Research does not target, you simply choose up to four cards that you own from outside the game to shuffle into your library. You can choose cards that have been removed from the game by these Scepters, but if there are more than two cards removed from the game by them, then you will not know which cards are which.

Q: I was under the impression that Graft targets and would send Skulking Knight (and similar creatures) to the graveyard; is this incorrect? If I were to put a counter from a Vigean Hydropon on an opponent's Skulking Knight, would the Knight be destroyed?

A: No, the Graft ability does not target at all. The ability triggers whenever a creature comes into play, but it does not target this creature at all.

Q: I play a Shock on an opponent's Hill Giant and then attack with Char Rumbler. My opponent blocks my Char Rumbler with his damaged Hill Giant. What happens? Does the negative damage heal the Hill Giant?

A: No. If not pumped, Char Rumbler's power will be negative one, but that only means that it will deal zero pints of combat damage. It will not deal negative damage, prevent damage, or make damage that was previously dealt go away.

Q: Can I attack with a creature that has First Strike and Lifelink, have it deal its damage to their blocker, gain my life, and then use Reconnaissance to remove it from combat before their blocker does any damage?

A: Yes that does work. You can use Reconnaissance after first strike combat damage has been dealt to remove this creature from combat.

Q: Limited Resources is out, the limit of ten lands is reached, and I play Flicker on target opponent's land. Is it possible to play one of my lands before his returns to play? Would a land return to play if the limit of ten is reached? For example, there are twelve lands out when I play Flicker.

A: First of all, you cannot do what you want. When Flicker resolves, the targeted non-token permanent is removed from the game, and then immediately returned to play. No one will get the opportunity to play anything in between performing these two actions. Also, Limited Resources only prevents players from playing lands if there are ten or more in play. It does not prevent lands from coming into play via methods other than playing them.