Rules Tip of the Day: Banding, Part 2: Mutual Assistance—Banding allows you to group creatures together when they attack; this is often called attacking in a band. In order to form an attacking band all creatures in the band except for one must have the banding ability. If your opponent wants to block any creature in the band, he must block the entire band. For example, I could attack you with a Benalish Hero and a Grizzly Bears as a band. In order to block either of them, you would block the band. Creatures in a band do not share abilities. In other words, if I form an attacking band of a Benalish Hero and an Aven Cloudchaser, you could block the entire band with one non-flying creature.

Q: I have Maralen of the Mornsong in play, and I target my opponent with Laquatus's Creativity. To what does the phase "that many cards" refer? Does it it refer to the number of cards actually drawn or the number of cards in the player's hand?

A: The phrase "that many cards" refers to the number of cards that were in this player's hand when Laquatus's Creativity started to resolve. This means that this player will end up not drawing any cards, but discarding their entire hand.

Q: Can Battletide Alchemist prevent damage that would be dealt to planeswalkers?

A: If you control a Battletide Alchemist and you dealt noncombat damage, then yes, you can choose to have this damage be prevented before the potential redirection is applied and this damage is dealt to a planeswalker you control. However, combat damage from creatures attacking a planeswalker you control is dealt directly to your planeswalker, and Battletide Alchemist's ability will not affect this at all.

Q: Can Conspiracy change the creature type of tribal cards, such as Warren Weirding, from Goblin to something else, like Elf?

A: No. Conspiracy's effect only applies to creatures in play and creature cards.

Q: Since planeswalkers are technically not creatures, would Negate actually catch a planeswalker spell?

A: Yes. Planeswalkers are not creature spells, they can be countered by effects that counter non-creature spells, like Negate's.

Q: Does Tarfire trigger Boggart Shenanigans' ability?

A: No, it won't. When a card refers to a subtype without also using the word 'card,' 'object,' or 'source,' it means a permanent in play with that subtype. Boggart Shenanigans' ability refers to a Goblin permanent in play going ot the graveyard, not an instant or sorcery spell with the subtype Goblin resolving and going to the graveyard.

Q: If a champion creature is tapped when it leaves play, does the creature that is returned to play come back tapped or untapped?

A: The championed creature that is returned to play is an entirely new creature, so it will enter play as it normally does, which usually means untapped. The status of the champion creature that removed it from the game when the champion left play does not matter.

Q: I have one Golgari Grave-Troll in my graveyard and a Putrid Imp in play. I cast a Careful Study. I choose to dredge back the Troll when the Study resolves. I don't hit another dredge card off the six cards that I put in the graveyard. Do I have to resolve the Careful Study, or can I pitch the Troll to the Imp so that I may dredge again?

A: You have to continue resolving Careful Study. You will not gain priority to play other spells and abilities, like Putrid Imp's, until after Careful Study has completely resolved.

Q: I play a Triskelavus and it resolves. My opponent attempts to Crib Swap it in response to it coming into play (before it gets three +1/+1 counters) so that I am not able to use its counters to make Triskelavites. Is my opponent's play legal?

A: No. The Triskelavus ability that causes it to enter play with +1/+1 counters is a static ability that generates a replacement effect. This replacement effect is applied to the action that puts the Triskelavus into play. It will enter play with three +1/+1 counters; this does not use the stack, and cannot be responded to.

Q: I have a Story Circle in play set to green and my opponent has two green creatures in play. During his first main phase, he casts a Pithing Needle but before it resolves, I tap two white mana sources for my Story Circle. When the Needle resolves, he names Story Circle. Can I still prevent the damage that will be inflicted when he attacks with his creatures this turn?

A: Yes, as long as you make the right choices at the appropriate time. You need to choose source of damage to prevent when these abilities resolve, you can not save them up and choose later, after he names the Story Circle. Provided that you choose his two green creatures as the green sources of damage to prevent when the Story Circle abilities resolved, then the next time that they would deal damage to you this turn would be prevented.