Rules Tip of the Day: Effects that affect creatures mean creatures in play, and not creature cards in any other zone. This also applies to effects that deal with the other permanent types.
Q: When using the copy ability of Rings of Brighthearth to copy the activated ability of Chameleon Colossus, does it have to target the Colossus, or can it target another Chameleon Colossus? The activated ability says that is the Colossus who gets the +X/+X until end of turn... can I target another creature for the +X/+X??
A: Chameleon Colossus' ability does not target anything; it affects the Chameleon Colossus with that ability. If a copy of this ability is made, the copy will affect the same Chameleon Colossus. You cannot choose to have another creature in play get the power/toughness bonus.
Q: I have a Greater Auramancy and an AEther Storm in play. Will my opponents be able to pay four life to destroy it?
A: Yes. Activating the ability of Aether Storm does not target the Aether Storm.
Q: I block a single attacking creature with two Bramblewood Paragons. Both are assigned lethal damage, but before they are destroyed, I activate the ability of my Cauldron of Souls. Is there a way that I can have both return to play and receive a +1/+1 counter from the other?
A: Only one will get a +1/+1 counter. When each of these Paragons left play, their persist abilities triggered. These two persist abilities go on the stack one at a time; they do not all resolve at one time. When the first persist ability resolves, one Paragon will return to play with a -1/-1 counter. Then the second persist ability will resolve and return that other to play with a -1/-1 counter from persist and a +1/+1 counter from the other Paragon. When state-based effects are checked, the -1/-1 counter and +1/+1 counter on this Paragon will both be removed.
Q: If I have Ashenmoor Gouger in play, and my opponent plays a card that gives him the defender ability, does that supersede his own "can't block" ability, or is he now unable to do anything combat related?
A: Having defender means that a creature cannot attack. A creature can have defender and also not be able to block. So as you have pointed out, this creature will not be able to do much of anything combat related.
Q: If I have two attacking Hungry Spriggans, do they get +3/+3 or +6/+6?
A: Each will get just +3/+3. When a card refers to itself by name it means ~this card~ and not all cards with that name.
Q: Does the wither ability put -1/-1 tokens on Swans of Bryn Argoll?
A: No. Damage from a creature with iwither will be prevented by the Swans' ability. Because this damage is prevented, the Swans will not receive any counters.
Q: My opponent has four creatures out in play and I cast Firespout. In response, he casts Mirrorweave on his Wizened Cenn, essentialy making all his creatures 5/5's. At the end of the turn, will the damage from Firespout wear off first before the Mirrorweave, or does the damage kill them at the end of the turn?
A: Damage on these creatures and the effect from the Mirrorweave will end at the same time, in the cleanup step of this turn. In other words, these creatures will remain in play.
Q: I activate Treetop Village and it gets killed. Before it gets sent to the graveyard, I activate Cauldron of Souls. Does the Treetop come back into play?
A: Yes, it will come back with a -1/-1 counter. When this Village is not animated, this counter will not do anything, but after Treetop Village's ability resolves this counter will end up making this permanent a 2/2 creature.
Q: If you have two Heritage Druids, and you tap three untapped Elves how much mana goes to your pool? Three or six green mana?
A: Just three. By tapping three elves you are only activating the ability of one Heritage Druid, not both.
Q: I play Primal Command and choose to return a target noncreature permanent and to search for a creature card. When I target my opponent's Mutavault with Primal Command, and in response he turns Mutavault into a creature, does it go on top, or does it stay in play?
A: When Primal Command attempts to resolve the targeted noncreature permanent is now a creature, so this target is illegal. In this situation, this is the only target of this spell, so the entire spell will be countered on resolution. So not only will the Mutavault remain in play, you will not be able to search your library for a creature card and put it in your hand.
Q: My opponent has two copies of Scion of Oona and three Bitterblossom tokens in play. I have Crovax, Ascendant Hero] in play. I play another Crovax, Ascendant Hero; what happens when he comes into play? Do the Bitterblossom tokens die or not?
A: Yes, they will. Immediately after this second Crovax enters play, state-based effects will be checked. At this time there are two Legendary permanents with the same name in play and all of the Faeries in play will be 0/0 creatures. All of these permanents will go to the graveyard at the same time.
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