Rules Tip of the Day: Spells and abilities cannot target themselves.

Q: I know that the Everbark Shaman's ability can fetch Murmuring Bosk, because it has the land type Forest. But I'm not sure how the Shaman's ability interacts with the Bosk's as-this-comes-into-play ability. Can I reveal a Treefolk to put the lands into play untapped?

A: No. You can reveal a Treefolk if you like, but regardless of whether you do,these lands will enter play tapped as Everbark Shaman's ability puts them into play tapped. Murmuring Bosk's ability only applies to events that would put it into play untapped. In those cases you have to reveal a Treefolk, or the land will enter play tapped instead. This interaction works just like the dual lands from Ravnica block; if an effect would put them into play tapped, you could still pay life, but they would still enter play tapped.

Q: If a Rogue with a +1/+1 counter on it from Oona's Blackguard attacks and deals damage to a player, will that player discard a card, even if Oona's Blackguard is already in the graveyard?

A: No, that ability is a triggered ability that will only trigger when the Blackguard is in play. The discard is not associated with the +1/+1 counters that it gives to Rogues that came into play under your control.

Q: Does a Brighthearth Banneret reduce the cost on Rebellion of the Flamekin so that I don't have to pay for my tokens?

A: No. The Banneret ability only lowers the cost to play spells of the appropriate type. It does not lower the cost you pay when Rebellion of the Flamekin's triggered ability resolves.

Q: If Thornbite Staff is equipped to Avatar of Woe, does the Avatar untap when it uses its own ability, or is the untapping part of the "pay 2" ability of the Staff?

A: That is a separate ability and not connected to the other ability of the Staff. The equipped creature will untap anytime a creature goes to the graveyard; this ability does not trigger only when a creature is dealt damage due to the other ability of Thornbite Staff, which give an activated ability to the equipped creature. [In short: combo! -Seamus]

Q: I have a Marsh Flitter into play with a +1/+1 counter on it. If I sacrifice a Goblin, is my Marsh Flitter a 4/4 or 3/3?

A: It will become a 4/4 creature. The effects from counters are factored in after effects that set the power and toughness of a creature.

Q: My opponent uses Incandescent Soulstoke's activated ability to put an Elemental into play. I play Sudden Spoiling to remove the abilities of that Elemental and the Soulstoke. Does my opponent still have to sacrifice the Elemental he put in play via the Soulstoke?

A: Yes. The triggered ability that causes you to sacrifice the creature that was put into play was generated by the resolution of Soulstroke's activated ability; it will still trigger, even if the Soulstroke loses all abilities.

Q: If my opponent attacks with a 3/3 creature, and I block with Phytohydra, Phytohydra gains 3 +1/+1 counters and becomes a 4/4. Does it deal one damage or four to the attacking creature?

A: It only assigned one point of damage. It will become a 4/4, but it was only a 1/1 when combat damage was put on the stack.

Q: Can Benthic Explorers produce mana that, when used on an instant or sorcery spell, can't be countered by spells or abilities, by untapping an opponent's Boseiju, Who Shelters All?

A: No, type of mana means its color only. Boseiju, Who Shelters All does not generate any colored mana, so you will not get any mana in this example.

Q: I play a Voidstone Gargoyle and name Rhox. Rhox has two abilties that I can see: regeneration, and one that allows it to assign damage to the defending player. Does the Gargoyle shut down both of Rhox's abilities, or just the regeneration?

A: Just the regeneration ability. Rhox's other ability is not an activated ability; it is static ability that generates a continuous effect. This effect allows the controller of Rhox to assign its combat damage differently from normal. Effects that prevent activated abilities from being played will not affect that.

Q: One player on Two-Headed Giant team I'm playing against is playing a combo deck that mills a player out so they have no cards in the library and die at the beginning of the draw step. That player uses that combo on my teammate and say go. I play Angel's Grace during our upkeep. What happens at the beginning of our draw step?

A: You draw a card and your partner does not, but due to the effect from Angel's Grace, you do not lose the game. The game will continue on, and if nothing else changes, your team will lose in your next turn when your partner cannot draw, or the next time after this turn when he is instructed to draw but cannot.