Rules Tip of the Day: When in any other zone but the stack, the value of X in cards with an X in the mana cost is treated as zero. When on the stack, X is equal to whatever was chosen when the spell was played.

Q: I want to turn Dark Depths into a creature with Balduvian Frostwalker, then cast Fate Transfer to remove the ice counters on Dark Depths. Can I do that?

A: Yes, that works. Doling so will move all of the ice counters off of Dark Depths, and this will cause Dark Depths' ability to trigger. You will end up putting an indestructible legendary 20/20 black Avatar creature token with flying into play.

Q: I have Garruck Wildspeaker in play with four loyalty counters. I remove the counters to give my creatures +3/+3 and trample, and Garruck goes to the graveyard. I then play another Garruck. Can I untap two lands to add a counter on this Garruk?

A: Yes; this is a new planeswalker, and you can play one of its abilities this turn. It does not matter that you have already played the activated ability of another planeswalker named Garruk this turn.

Q: If I have 20 life, have Angelic Chorus in play, and play Plague of Vermin, can I pay all 20 life and still live?

A: No. After Plague of Vermin resolves, state-based effects are checked, and you will have a life total of zero and lose the game. Angelic Chorus has a triggered ability. This ability will trigger during the resolution of Plague of Vermin when you put the token creatures into play, but these abilities will not go on the stack until after state-based effects are checked after Plague of Vermin resolves. So these abilities will not even go on the stack, let alone resolve, before you lose the game.

Q: If I resurrect Ashenmoor Liege with Makeshift Mannequin and my opponent Shocks it, does he take four damage?

A: Yes. When this Shock is played, the ability of Ashenmoor Liege and the ability give to the Liege by Makeshift Mannequin will trigger. Regardless of the order that these two triggers go on the stack, they will both resolve. Technically, your opponent will lose four life, not take four damage.

Q: My opponent has two copies of Sphere of Resistance in play. If I want to play my Ingot Chewer using its evoke ability to destroy one of the Spheres, what do I have to pay?

A: 2R. Evoke is an alternate play cost. You are still playing this card as a spell; you are just paying something other than its normal mana cost. Because you are playing a spell, the effects from the two Spheres of Resistance will be applied and will raise the cost to play this card to 2R.

Q: If I have both Vigor and a Phytohydra in play, and the Phytohydra is dealt damage, do the abilities of both creatures cause the Phytohydra to receive double the amount of +1/+1 counters?

A: No, both Vigor and Phytohydra have static abilities that create replacement effects. Both of these abilities will try to change what happens when Phytohydra is dealt damage, but only one can do that. As the controller of these two replacement effects, you can choose which effect will be applied, but it does not really matter. In the end, the Phytohydra will only get +1/+1 counters equal to the damage that was prevented.

Q: If I attack with Zur the Enchanter and use his ability to find Necromancy, will the creature that Necromancy returns die at the end of the turn, because the Necromancy was brought into play at instant speed?

A: No. Necromancy is only sacrificed at the end of turn if it was played when you could not play a sorcery. This Necromancy was not played at all, so it will remain in play.

Q: I have Aurification in play, and my opponent attacks and deals damage with Azorius First-Wing, which has protection from enchantments. Will my opponent's Azorius First-Wing get a gold counter and be unable to attack?

A: Yes. Protection abilities do four things: damage from sources with the relevant quality is prevented; enchantments and equipment with that quality can not be attached to the protected permanent; the creature with protection can not be blocked by creatures with that quality; and spells and abilities with that quality cannot target the permanent. These four rules form the acronym DEBT: Damage, Enchantments/Equipment, Blocking, and Targeting. Protection does not mean that the object with protection cannot be affected by sources with the protected quality at all, just not in the ways listed above. Because Aurification's ability does not deal damage, attach to, or target the First-Wing, and it has nothing to do with blocking, the protection ability does not interact at all.

Q: I have two Islands in play, and I play Gush. In response, my opponent Boomerangs one of my Islands to my hand. Does Gush fizzle?

A: No, that cannot happen. You return two lands to your hand when you play Gush, as a cost to play it. No one can respond to the payment of costs. By the time your opponent receives priority to play his Boomerang, these two lands are already in your hand.

Q: My opponent has six lands and I have four lands. I play Land Equilibrium. Does my opponent have to sacrifice down to four lands during their turn, even if they don't play a land?

A: No. Land Equilibrium only forces your opponents to sacrifice a land when they put a land into play. Nothing happens if your opponent has more lands than you do when Land Equilibrium comes into play, at least at that point.