Ask the Judge, 8/21/2008
Rules Tip of the Day: Try to learn your DCI number, or at least keep it with you in a deck box or binder. You can also put it in your cell phone. It truly helps the operations staff if you can provide your DCI number when you register for a tournament.
Q: I attack with a Crag Puca. He is not blocked. I pay a red mana to switch Crag Puca's power and toughness, making him a 4/2. My opponent responds by playing Shock and dealing two damage to the Crag Puca. May I pay another red or blue mana to switch the Crag Puca's power and toughness again, turning him back into a 2/4 and saving his life?
A: Yes, that works, if your opponent waits lets the ability resolve before playing shock. The two switch effects will end up canceling each other out. However, if your opponent responds to the ability with the Shock, Crag Puca will die, as responding will mean that Shock will deal two damage to a 4/2, and not responding will mean that the original activation will make it a 4/2 with two damage already on it.
Q: If I have a 4/4 or 8/8 Figure of Destiny in play, and my opponent plays Nameless Inversion on it, will it die?
A: No. Removing the creature types from it does not remove the fact that its power/toughness was set at 4/4 or 8/8. Figure of Destiny's abilities can only be played when Figure of Destiny has a specific type or types, but changing those types after these abilities have been played will not affect its power and toughness. Nameless Inversion will give this creature +3/-3 and make it either a 7/1 or an 11/5.
Q: I control a Voracious Hatchling with one -1/-1 counter on it, making it a 5/5. My opponent plays Spitting Image, targeting my Voracious Hatchling. Does the token put into play by Spitting Image have any -1/-1 counters on it? If so, how many?
A: This Voracious Hatching will come into play with four -1/-1 counters. It does not copy the number of counters that the original has; it comes into play as a new copy with the same comes-into-play ability that the original has.
Q: If my opponent puts two or more -1/-1 counters on Sapling of Colfenor, can I attack with it to get the benefits of it?
A: Yes. Sapling of Colfenor's ability triggers when it attacks, regardless of its power or whether it is capable of dealing combat damage.
Q: Can I attach an Edge of the Divinity to Evershrike when I first put him into play, before I ever put him into the graveyard?
A: You can if you play the Edge of Divinity spell, but not when Evershrike is resolving and enters play. You only attach an Aura from your hand to it when its activated ability resolves.
Q: I have three Spectral Procession tokens out and a Thistledown Liege. My opponent has a Goldmeadow Harrier and a Burrenton Forge Tender. I attack, and play Mirrorweave, targeting my Thistledown Liege. My opponent responds with Mirrorweave, targeting his Goldmeadow Harrier. What happens?
A: All creatures in play will be Goldmeadow Harriers. Copy effects do copy other copy effects. When your opponent's Mirrorweave resolves, all creatures in play become copies of Goldmeadow Harrier. Then, when your Mirrorweave resolves, it also makes all creatures into copies of Goldmeadow Harrier. This is because the copiable values of the creature targeted by your Mirrorweave were those of a Goldmeadow Harrier.
Q: I have a Bramblewood Paragon in play. I play a Figure of Destiny. As soon as Figure of Destiny is in play, I pay R to make it a Kithkin Spirit and pay RRR to make it a Kithkin Spirit Warrior. Does Figure of Destiny gets the +1/+1 counter from Bramblewood Paragon?
A: No. Bramble Paragon's ability applies to creatures as they come into play. It did not enter play as a Warrior, so it will not receive the +1/+1 counter even if it becomes a Warrior soon after entering play.
Q: I have Godhead of Awe in play, and I activate Mirror Entity's ability for five. What happens? Do my creatures become 5/5 or stay 1/1?
A: They will become 5/5 creatures. The effects from Godhead of Awe and Mirror Entity are both applied in the same layer, according to timestamp order. This means that the effect from Mirror Entity will make your creatures into 5/5s after Godhead of Awe made them into 1/1s.
Q: I have a creature in play with a Makeshift Mannequin counter on it. My opponent targets it with Shock, and I respond by playing Fate Transfer to move the counter to one of his creatures. Does the Fate Transfer resolve?
A: No. When you play Fate Transfer, the Mannequin ability of this creature will trigger again. This triggered ability will end up causing the creature to be sacrificed before any of these spells resolve.





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