Rules Tip of the Day: When combat damage goes on the stack, the active player announces how he will assign the damage from the attacking creatures he controls, then the defending player announces how he will assign the damage from the defending creatures he controls. This damage will go on the stack as a single object and resolve all at once.

Q: I have a Figure of Destiny in play. My opponent Terrors it, and I respond with Cauldron Haze. When the Figure of Destiny comes back into play with a -1/-1 counter, can I respond by playing its first ability, making a 2/2 with a -1/-1 counter on it and saving it?

A: No, this Figure of Destiny will enter play with the -1/-1 counter. Persist does not return the creature to play and then put a counter on it. State-based effects will be checked before any player will be able to play any spells or abilities. At that point, the Figure of Destiny will have a toughness of zero and will go to the graveyard.

Q: If I attack with a Nantuko Husk, and before damage is on the stack, sacrifice a Rendclaw Trow to it, can I then do it again, once the Rendclaw's persist trigger has resolved?

A: Yes. If you sacrifice the Rendclaw Trow in the declaration of blockers step, then its persist ability will resolve, and it will reenter play. You can then sacrifice this new Trow before you advance on to the combat damage step.

Q: If I play a Snakeform on my opponent's Grief Tyrant, I assume it's a 1/1 Snake without abilities and with four -1/-1 counters over it, so it dies. But my opponent says he can use the ability of the Tyrant and put the counters on my creature. Is this right?

A: No, it leaves play without any abilities, so the Grief Tyrant ability will not trigger.

Q: If there are no artifacts or enchantments in play, can I use Wickerbough Elder's ability?

A: No, in order to play a spell or ability, you must choose legal targets. In this case, there must be an artifact or enchantment to target.

Q: If I have a Reaper King in play and I play a second Reaper King, will I get to destroy two permanents before I have to sacrifice them to the legend rule, or will I not get to destroy any permanents because both Reaper Kings die as a state-based effect before their ability can trigger?

A: Neither; you will be able to destroy one permanent. When this second Reaper King enters play, the ability of the first Reaper King will trigger. The ability of the second Reaper King will not trigger, as it triggers when 'another Scarecrow comes into play.' Both of these Reaper Kings will leave play before this triggered ability goes on the stack, but the trigger will eventually resolve and destroy the targeted permanent.

Q: In a recent draft, I had a Drove of Elves and a Flourishing Defenses in play. If I attack with the Drove of Elves and my opponent blocks with his Rendclaw Trow, will the Drove of Elves die, or would the tokens from the Flourishing Defenses already be in play, keeping my Drove of Elves alive as a 4/4 with two -1/-1 counters on it?

A: Assuming that the Drove is a 2/2, then it will end up going to the graveyard. When combat damage is dealt, two -1/-1 counters will be put on the Drove. This will cause Flourishing Defenses' ability to trigger two times. However, before these triggered abilities can go on the stack, state-based effects are checked. At this point, the Drove has a toughness of zero and will go to the graveyard. This will happen before the Defenses' abilities resolve and more green permanents enter play under your control.

Q: I was wondering if you could use, say, Freed from the Real on Llanowar Elves and tap it seven times to pay for Gilf-Leaf Archdruid's ability. Would that count towards the seven Druids, or would you have to tap seven different Druids?

A: No, when you activate the Archdruid's ability, you must tap seven different Druids at one time. You cannot tap one, untap it, and then tap it again.

Q: I have a Mycosynth Lattice, a March of the Machines, and an Arcum Dagsson in play. After I make an opponent sacrifice one of their creatures by tapping Arcum, will they fail to find a "non-creature artifact" because they are all creatures?

A: No, Mycosynth Lattice and March of the Machines only affect permanents in play. Card in your opponent's library will not be artifacts or creatures unless they normally are.

Q: If I have an Enduring Renewal and a Yawgmoth's Agenda in play, and a creature is put in the graveyard, does it go to my hand or is it removed from the game?

A: It will be removed from the game. Yawgmoth's Agenda's ability creates a replacement effect that removes it from the game instead of it going to the graveyard. Enduring Renewal's ability will not trigger, as this creature never even goes to your graveyard.