Ask the Judge, 6/10/2008
Rules Tip of the Day: The converted mana cost of a card is the total of mana in the upper right corner of the card, regardless of what was actually spent to play the spell.
Q: If I choose Steel of the Godhead when Runed Halo comes into play, can I be dealt damage by the creature Steel of the Godhead is attached to?
A: Yes, the enchanted creature is the source of this damage. The fact that Steel of the Godhead increases this creature's power does not make it the source of this damage or even part of it.
Q: I have a Blowfly Infestation, a Tatterkite, and two creatures in play. One of my creatures dies with a -1/-1 counter on it, setting off Blowfly Infestation. Can I target Tatterkite, stopping the Blowfly Infestation?
A: Yes, you can target the Tatterkite with Blowfly Infestation's ability. When this ability resolves, nothing will happen as Tatterkite cannot have any counters placed on it.
Q: If I play Jaws of Stone, can I choose any number of targets, regardless of how many Mountains I have in play?
A: No, when an spell or ability has you divide an effect among multiple objects, each must have at least one point of of whatever is being divided assigned to it.
Q: There are several creatures in play; you control a Lost Auramancers, which has vanishing 3. You cast a Mirrorweave targeting the Lost Auramancers. Is it correct to say that all other creatures acquire the vanishing ability, which instantly forces the owner to sacrifice the creatures, because they have no time counters on them?
A: No, these creatures will now have vanishing, but you only sacrifice a creature with vanishing when you remove the last time counter from it. You are not removing any counters from these creatures, so they will remain in play.
Q: If I have Mistmeadow Skulk in play, and my opponent plays Enchanted Evening, does my Mistmeadow Skulk become an enchantment?
A: Yes. Enchanted Evening does not target, deal damage, attach to anything, or have anything to do with blocking, so it will affect the Skulk.
Q: Knucklebone Witch is championed by Boggart Mob, and there are two other creatures in play under your control. After a Wrath of God, is it possible to stack the deaths so that the championed Knucklebone Witch gets some new counters?
A: No, at no time will the Witch be in play when the other Goblins leave play. Because of this, its ability will not trigger.
Q: If you use Mana Leech's ability, then use Rings of Brighthearth to copy the ability, can you keep two lands tapped while Mana Leech remains tapped, or just one?
A: Both will become tapped and both will remain tapped as long as the Leech remains tapped. When Rings of Brighthearth makes a copy of an ability, the source of the ability is the same as the original ability. The effects created by each of these abilities will continue to look at this Mana Leech and keep the targeted lands tapped as long as the Leech remains tapped.
Q: I have Dread in play and another 3/3 creature. If my opponent attacks me with a 7/7 creature with trample, will it deal four points of damage to me and then be destroyed by Dread's ability?
A: It depends on how your opponent assigns this combat damage. He can assign up to four points of damage to you, but he does not have to. He can choose to assign all seven points to the blocking creature.
Q: Can I announce Infernal Tutor, and respond to it by sacrificing my Lion's Eye Diamond to get Infernal Tutor's Hellbent effect?
A: Yes, that works. Infernal Tutor's ability checks whether or not you have cards in your hand when it resolves. The number of cards in your hand when you play Infernal Tutor does not matter.
Q: I have Kismet and Palliation Accord in play. Whenever my opponent plays a creature, it comes into play tapped. Do I still get the shield counter from my Palliation Accord?
A: Palliation Accord's ability triggers when a creature controlled by an opponent becomes tapped, not when one comes into play tapped. To become tapped, a permanent must go from being untapped to being tapped. Kismet causes your opponent's artifacts, creatures, and lands to come into play tapped; they do not enter play and then become tapped.
Q: If my opponent has an Avatar of Hope in play, and I attack with eight 4/4 Centaur tokens, will he be able to block all eight, or only three of them, since the Avatar's toughness is only nine?
A: He can block all eight of them. The blocking ability of Avatar of Hope is not limited by the number of creatures it will take to deal lethal damage to the Avatar, it can block as many attacking creatures as it is legally able to.





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