Rules Tip of the Day: There is only one official way to mulligan your initial opening hand in a game of Magic. If for any reason you do not like your starting hand, you can shuffle it back into your library and draw a new hand of one card less than before. You can repeat this process as many times as you like, each time drawing one cards less.

Q: I attacked with two Treefolk Harbingers and one Doran, the Siege Tower. My opponent decided to block with his Knight of Meadowgrain. With first strike damage on the stack, he played Mirrorweave targeting his Knight, claiming that my Harbingers do no damage at all, since first strike has resolved. Is this correct?

A: That is incorrect. Giving a creature first strike after first strike combat damage has been assigned will not prevent the creature from dealing damage in the normal combat damage step. The rules that cover this specifically state that those creatures that did not assign damage in the first strike combat damage step and those with double strike will assign combat damage in the normal combat damage step. Giving or removing first strike from a creature will not prevent it from assigning damage or allow it to deal damage again. Assuming that he blocked your Doran, then it will be destroyed after first strike combat damage has resolved, but the two Harbingers will end up dealing 2 points of damage to you, as they are copies of the Knight.

Q: I have a Painter's Servant and a Grindstone in play, and my opponent has a Wheel of Sun and Moon. When Grindstone is activated, will the Wheel replace the effect as it happened and cause a tie?

A: Yes. Wheel of Sun and Moon has a static ability that generates a replacement effect. This replacement effect applies to the actual action of putting a card into this player's graveyard. During the resolution of Grindstone, these cards basically go from the top of this library to the bottom, over and over again. As this creates a continual loop, the game will be a draw.

Q: Can Medicine Runner's ability to remove a counter be used on a mannequin counter?

A: Not really. You can target this creature with that ability, but doing so will cause it to be sacrificed. Medicine Runner's ability targets, and when it goes on the stack, you choose a target creature. If you choose a creature that was returned to play by Makeshift Mannequin and has a mannequin counter on it, then the triggered ability given to that creature will trigger. This triggered ability will then go on the stack on top of Medicine Runner's ability. The Makeshift-Mannequin-granted trigger will resolve first and cause this creature to be sacrificed before Medicine Runner's ability resolves and removes the counter.

Q: My opponent has Drove of Elves in play. Can I play Mirrorweave to make all creatures copies of Drove of Elves? Since it can't be targeted by spells or abilities I control, my friend says I can't target it with Mirroweave and thus can't turn every other creature into Drove, but I argue that I can because the Drove of Elves isn't being affected by the spell.

A: Your friend is correct. Drove of Elves is untargetable by spells and abilities you control; whether or not it is affected does not matter. You cannot target it.

Q: I have a Cemetary Puca and another creature in play. If my opponent plays Oblivion Ring on the other creature, can I pay 1 and have the Puca become a copy of the creature that has just had Oblivion Ring put on it?

A: No, that does not work. Cemetery Puca's ability only triggers when a creature goes to the graveyard, not when a creature leaves play.

Q: I have Grave Pact in play. If I evoke Shreikmaw, it comes into play and targets a creature, and then it leaves play. I assume that there is a way I can kill the targeted creature first and then, when it leaves play, my opponent will have to sacrifice another creature to Grave Pact?

A: Yes, as long as you put Shriekmaw's two triggers on the stack in the correct order. When this evoked Shriekmaw enters play, both its 'destroy target nonartifact, nonblack creature" comes-into-play triggered ability and its evoke triggered ability will try to go on the stack at the same time. As the controller of these two abilities, you can determine the order they go on the stack and, therefore, the order they resolve. In order to get rid of two creatures, you'll have to put the evoke trigger on the stack first so it resolves last.

Q: If I have both Recycle and Cream of the Crop in play, and I cast a Groundbreaker, can I resolve the Cream of the Crop's ability first, before I draw a card for Recycle?

A: You will end up drawing a card first. Recycle's ability triggers when you play a card, so this ability will trigger when you play Groundbreaker and go on the stack on top of the Groundbreaker spell. You will end up drawing this card before the Groundbreaker enters play. Cream of the Crop's ability triggers when a creature comes into play under your control. It will not trigger until the Groundbreaker enters play, which will be after you drew a card from Recycle's ability.

Q: I have a Scryb Ranger in play and a Kudzu on my Forest. If I tap the Forest, put Kudzu's effect on the stack, then return the Forest to my hand in response with the Ranger, does the Kudzu go the graveyard, or does it still go to a land of my choice?

A: After you activate Scryb Ranger's ability, state-based effects will be checked and the Kudzu will go to its owner's graveyard. Later when Kudzu's triggered ability resolves, the land that was enchanted cannot be destroyed as it is no longer in play. Additionally, Kudzu is no longer in play, so it will not be moved to another land.