Ask the Judge 1/2/2008
Rules Tip of the Day: Several years ago, a few cards were printed with the type 'Mana Source.' These cards all have errata; they are now instants. These spells will use the stack when they are played.
Q: If I control a Blazing Archon, is my planeswalker still vulnerable to attacking creatures?
A: Yes. You cannot be attacked, but planeswalkers you control can be.
Q: I play a Rimewind Taskmage, and my opponent targets it with a Cancel.If I play Wild Ricochet, would I be able to change the target of the Cancel to the Ricochet, and then use the Cancel copy to target the original Cancel, nullifying the Cancel and allowing the Taskmage to resolve?
A: Yes, that works. When you use a spell—Wild Ricochet, in this example—to change the target of a counter, you can choose to have the counterspell target the spell that is changing the targets. This will cause the counterspell to become countered on resolution, as its target is no longer on the stack and not legal. However, Wild Ricochet throws something more in the mix as it puts a copy of this counterspell on the stack. But as you have discovered, you can choose to have this copy target the original counterspell. The copy Cancel will end up countering the original Cancel in this case, and the retargeting effect ends up having no real impact on the game.
Q: If I have four Stinkdrinker Daredevils in play, do my Giant spells cost 8 mana less to play or is it just 2 mana?
A: The effect from that ability is cumulative. The ability from each Stinkdrinker Daredevil will lower the cost to play Giant spells. So a Giant spell you play would cost up to eight colorless mana less.
Q: I have a Cloudstone Curio, a creature, and a land in play. If I play a Dryad Arbor, can I bounce the land and the creature?
A: No. You can return either the land or your creature, not both. Cloudstone Curio's ability allows you to return just one permanent you control to its owner's hand. It does not matter that the permanent that came into play and triggered the Curio's ability has two permanent types. When the Curio's ability resolves, you can return a land or a creature you control to its owner's hand, not one of each.
Q: There is a Sunken Hope in play. I have no creatures in play, but I do have a creature card Suspended with one time counter. Will Sunken Hope's ability trigger if I do not control any creatures? And will I have to return this creature card to my hand?
A: Sunken Hope's ability triggers at the beginning of each upkeep regardless of whether or not you control any creatures. If your opponent controls the Sunken Hope, then you will not return this creature to your hand. If you control Sunken Hope, then it is up to you whether or not you return it. This is because of the way that abilities that trigger at the same time go on the stack. If your opponent controls Sunken Hope then that trigger will go on the stack last and resolve first. If you control both the Suspend trigger and the Sunken Hope trigger, you can choose to put the Sunken Hope trigger on the stack last and to resolve it first, before you have this creature in play.
Q: Does Rotlung Reanimator's ability trigger if I have Enduring Renewal in play?
A: Yes. Enduring Renewal's ability will eventually return to your hand any Cleric card that went to the graveyard, but that does not mean that these cards did not go to your graveyard. When Rotlung Reanimator or another Cleric you control is put into a graveyard from play, both its ability and Enduring Renewal's ability will trigger, and both will eventually resolve.
Q: I use my 0/3 Riptide Mangler to copy the power of a 5/5, making him a 5/3. I then use a Merfolk Thaumaturgist to switch his power and toughness, making him a 3/5. I use the Riptide Mangler's ability again, targeting the 5/5. Now my Mangler is a 5/5 permanently, yes?
A: No. It will still be a 3/5 creature, and when this turn is over, it will revert back to a 5/3 creature. When calculating the power and toughness of a creature, you apply effect that switch power and toughness last. In this case you will start with a 0/3 Mangler, which then becomes a 5/3 creature. Activating its ability again and targeting this same 5/5 creature will not change anything because the switch effect is not applied until later. It does not matter that it was played and resolved before the Mangler's ability is played a second time. This means that the Mangler will remain a 3/5 creature. At the end of turn, when the switch effect wears off, it will return to being a 5/3 creature.
Q: Now that Phyrexian Dreadnought's ability is a triggered ability again, can I play it, sacrifice it to something like Greater Good, and not have to sacrifice any other creatures?
A: Yes. You are correct that the official text of Phyrexian Dreadnought has been changed so that it works as it was originally printed. It does, and you can respond to this trigger. When the trigger resolves, if the Dreadnought is not in play, you can still choose to sacrifice creatures with a combined power of 12 or more if you want to, but you can also choose to sacrifice the Dreadnought. If the Dreadnought is not in play when you choose to sacrifice it, nothing will happen.





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