Rules Tip of the Day: With the exception of those few cards with characteristic-defining text, objects (cards, spells, and permanents) are only the colors in their mana cost. If an object does not have any colored mana symbols in its mana cost, then it is colorless, unless it explicitly says otherwise.

Q: Can Vendilion Clique's ability be used as a counterspell of sorts? To cause a player to discard a card they played?

A: No. When a spell is played, it leaves the zone that it is in and goes on the stack. Causing a player to discard a card will not affect a spell on the stack.

Q: Does Taurean Mauler count land drops?

A: No, lands that are played are not spells.

Q: I have a Story Circle (set to Red) and a planeswalker in play. My opponent casts Incinerate, targeting me and redirecting the damage to the planeswalker. If I activate the Story Circle's ability, will it prevent the damage to the planeswalker?

A: It can, but its up to you. If you activate Story Circle while Incinerate is on the stack (note that this is before your opponent chooses to redirect the damage to the planeswalker), then when this Incinerate resolves, three points of damage would be dealt to you, but there are two replacement effects that are trying to change what happens: one from the Story Circle, and the replacement effect that allows a player to redirect noncombat damage from a source they control that would be dealt to an opponent to a planeswalker they control instead. As the affected player, you can choose which of these effects to apply first. If you apply the Story Circle effect first, then the damage will be prevented and there will not be any damage to be redirected.

Q: What happends if you target a spell with buyback, like Demonic Collusion, with Dralnu, Lich Lord? Can you still get the spell back by paying the buyback cost?

A: You can pay for buyback when you flashback the spell. However, even if you do, the card will be removed from the game instead of returning to your hand. This is because flashback auses the card to be removed from the game any time the spell leaves the stack. This will override the buyback effect.

Q: Could Thorn of Amethyst be legally comboed with Boseiju, Who Shelters All in order to play uncounterable spells that do not have have colorless mana in their cost, like Castigate]?

A: Yes. Thorn of Amethyst raises the cost to play non-creature spells. This cost is part of playing the spell. If you spend mana form Boseiju to pay this additional cost, it counts as spending it to play this spell. If this spell is an instant or sorcery, it will be uncounterable.

Q: Can you tell me whether Gibbering Descent gives all players hellbent if they have no cards in hand?

A: No, the hellbent ability only affects the controller of Gibbering Descent. The opponents of this player will still have an upkeep step and lose a life even if they do not have a hand and cannot discard a card.

Q: Player A has a number of Slivers in play, one of which is Ghostflame Sliver. Player B plays Darkest Hour, making all creatures black. How does this affect the Slivers? Are they colorless, black, or—in some irrational manner—both?

A: They will be black, as the Darkest Hour came into play last. Its effect is applied last and it will overwrite the effect from the Ghostflame Sliver. If the Ghostflame Sliver came into play after the Darkest Hour (or if you played another Ghostflame Sliver), then Slivers would be colorless.

Q: Can a player can counter a Flametongue Kavu with a Confound?

A: No. Creature spells do not target. Flametongue Kavu has a comes-into-play ability that targets, but the spell itself does not.

Q: I was wondering what would happen when Boom / Bust is revealed in a clash. Would the converted mana cost be 2, 6, 8, or what?

A: Clash works rather interestingly with regards to split cards. The converted mana cost of Boom / Bust is two and six. You'll actually use both of these numbers when you clash. Because you compare the both of the converted mana costs of a split card to the other revealed cards, it is possible for more than one play to win the clash. This is because a player wins a clash if the card they reveal has a converted mana cost that higher than a converted mana cost of any other revealed card.

So here's how it breaks down with Boom / Bust. If the card revealed by an opponent has a converted mana cost of one, then the owner of the Boom / Bust will win the clash. If the card revealed by an opponent has a converted mana cost of two through five, then both players will win. (Most effects specify something that happens if the controller of the clash effects wins, so in these cases the 'extra' effect will be applied.) If the card revealed by an opponent has a converted mana cost of six or greateri, than the opponent will win the clash.