Rules Tip of the Day: You can only pay Kicker costs when you play a Kicker spell. If an effect would put a permanent into play, you cannot pay any Kicker costs associated with that card.

Q: If someone has Aether Flash in play and I play a Mistmeadow Skulk, will it take the damage?

A: No. Mistmeadow Skulk's ability prevents it from receiving any damage from a source that has a converted mana cost of three or more. This includes 'global' enchantments like Aether Flash.

Q: If there were a card that removed all abilities from a creature without giving that creature a new power and toughness, as Ovinize does, how would Tarmogoyf's power and toughness be determined?

A: If a specific numeric characteristic, like power and toughness, cannot be determined, then zero is used instead. There are instances where something like this can happen, just not in play. This situation can come up if the Tarmogoyf is in your graveyard and there is a Yixlid Jailer in play. In instances like this, the P/T of the Tarmogoyf card in your graveyard would be undefined, and therefore it would be treated as 0/0. If there was a reanimation effect that cared about the power or toughness of a creature card in your graveyard this could matter.

Q: When I play Spellshift what happens to the revealed cards? Do they go to the graveyard or do they get shuffled back into the library?

A: The revealed cards are still part of your library and do not go anywhere. So apart from the one revealed instant or sorcery that is played, all of these other cards remain in your library when your library is shuffled.

Q: In our hometown Elder Dragon Highlander game, I have Vedalken Orrery on the board when one of my opponents plays Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir. Am I still able to play non-land cards whenever I can play an instant?

A: No. When two effects contradict each other the limiting one, or the one that prevents something from happening will 'win.' In this situation, the effect from Teferi's ability sets a limit on what can happen, so that ability will take precedence and prevent you from playing spells at any time other than when you coudl play a sorcery.

Q: I have a Saffi Eriksdotter, Leyline of Singularity, and some lands in play. My opponent has a Sulfur Elemental, a Keldon Marauders, and some land. During my end of turn, my opponent plays another Sulfur Elemental. Is my Saffi going to be destroyed, or do the Sulfur Elementals get destroyed by the legend rule first, before their static effects take place?

A: Both things will happen. Both the legend rule and the check to see if a creature has a toughness of zero or below are state-based effects. All state-based effects are checked at the same time. So after this second Sulfur Elemental enters play, state-based effects are checked and both Sulfur Elementals and Saffi will go to the graveyard.

Q: If I have Gods' Eye, Gate to the Reikai in playi, and I cast Smallpox, can I sacrifice the token from the land to the Smallpox?

A: No. The ability of Gods' Eye, Gate to Reikai is a triggered ability that will trigger when you sacrifice the land, but this triggered ability will not even go on the stack until after Smallpox has completely resolved. This means that you will not get the 1/1 spirit token creature until after Smallpox has completely resolved and you have sacrificed some other creature, if able.

Q: If I play Draining Whelk on its own, without countering something, does it counter itself?

A: No, by the time Draining Whelk's triggered ability goes on the stack, the Draining Whelk spell will have resolved. If there is no target for this ability, then it will leave the stack and do nothing.

Q: Do Reparations and Cloud Cover work together to let you bounce your creature and draw a card?

A: Yes, the ability of each will trigger when an opponent plays a spell that targets a creature you control. You can choose to draw a card and return the targeted creature to your hand.

Q: I cast Pariah and Treacherous Link on an opponent's creature while I have a Flesh Reaver in play. If, at any time, the Flesh Reaver deals damage to any creature or either player, does its ability continuously trigger, dealing effectively infinite damage to my opponent?

A: Yes, this three-card combo works. But the damage is not infinite; eventually your opponent's life total will go below zero and he will lose the game. If an effect prevents your opponent from losing the game when his life total goes to zero or below, then this loop will cause the game to be a draw unless some effect breaks the loop.

Q: If you have two Zuran Orbs in play and sac a land, do you gain four life?

A: No. You can sacrifice a land to activate the ability of one Zuran Orb or the other. You cannot activate the ability of both by paying this cost once, any more than you can activate the ability of a single Zuran Orb more than once by paying the activation cost once.