Rules Tip of the Day: You resolve the top object on the stack—or, if there is nothing on the stack, advance to the next step or phase—once each player has passed priority without doing anything.

Q: How does Szadek, Lord of Secrets' ability work if I give it lifelink? I ask because Szadek's ability is worded similarly to the wither ability, and lifelink works with wither.

A: Szadek's ability is different from the wither ability. Szadek's ability does indeed use the word 'instead', which signifies that this ability generates a replacement effect that replaces what happens when damage is being dealt. However, wither does not create a replacement effect. Wither damage is just applied in a different way. The lifelink ability on a creature with wither will trigger, as damage is actually dealt. But Szadek's ability replaces what happens when it would deal damage, so the damage is not dealt. Because of this, the lifelink ability on Szadek will not trigger and you will not gain any life.

Q: If you have a Doomgape and another creature in play, can you sacrifice Doomgape at the beginning of your upkeep for ten life or do you need to sacrifice a creature other than Doomgape if one is available?

A: When Doomgape's ability resolves, you sacrifice a creature. You can choose to sacrifice Doomgape itself or any other creature you control, though you must sacrifice a creature if you are able.

Q: If I have a Veteran Bodyguard in play, and I get attacked by a creature with wither and do not block, will the Bodyguard just take damage, or will it take wither damage and get -1/-1 counters?

A: It will receive -1/-1 counters. The Bodyguard's ability redirects damage that would be dealt to you. The source of this damage is the same: the creature dealing damage to you that has Wither.

Q: If I have a Everlasting Torment in play, and my opponent deals five damage to my Grim Poppet, am I able to remove those -1/-1 counters and distribute them elsewhere using Grim Poppet's ability before it dies and is sent to the graveyard?

A: No. If, after this damage is dealt, the Poppet has a toughness of zero or less, then it will go to the graveyard before you can do anything. You can respond to whatever would deal this damage by activating the Poppet's ability and removing the counters that are on it at this point, but you will not be able to use the counters that end up killing it.

Q: How does Toil to Renown interact with tapped artifact lands?

A: They are only counted once. Toil to Renown counts the number of tapped artifacts, creatures, and lands you control. If a permanent is two or more of these types, it is still only counted once.

Q: My opponent has a Woodlurker Mimic in play, and plays another Woodlurker Mimic. As a result, the first Woodlurker Mimic becomes a 4/5 with wither. I have a Vinelasher Kudzu in play with two +1/+1 counters on it. My opponent attacks with the 4/5 Woodlurker Mimic, and I cast Cytoshape targeting my Vinelasher Kudzu, turning it into a copy of the attacking Woodlurker Mimic. Will Vinelasher Kudzu be a 2/1 Woodlurker Mimic, or will he become a 4/5 with wither?

A: It will be a 4/3 Woodlurker Mimic, and it will not have wither. The Mimic effect is not a copiable value, so it will copy the 'base' characteristics of the Mimic and become a 2/1. However, the effect from the +1/+1 counters on the Kudzu will be applied after the copy effect, making this Kudzu a 4/3.

Q: If I cast Heal the Scars targeting a creature that does not actually need to be regenerated (no damage on the stack waiting to kill it or in response to a terror), will I still in fact gain the life from the card?

A: Yes. When Heal the Scars resolves, a regeneration shield is created, and you gain life equal to the targeted creature's toughness. It does not matter if this regeneration shield is ever used; you will still gain the life.

Q: I have Nevinyrral's Disk in play and untapped, with mana available to use it. My opponent plays Replenish with gobs of enchantments in his graveyard, including Oblivion Ring. He states that once he choses my Disk as the recipient of the Ring, I may not use the Disk in response, because the only opportunity I had to use it was when he cast the Replenish. Is this correct?

A: That is incorrect. Oblivion Ring is not an Aura. Replenish will return Oblivion Ring to play and the Ring's ability will trigger. When this triggered ability goes on the stack, your opponent will choose a target for this ability. This ability does use the stack and it can be responded to. Your opponent may be thinking that Oblivion Ring works like Aura enchantments do. When they are put into play without being played, what they are attached to is chosen as they enter play. No one can respond to this choice. However, that is not how Oblivion Ring works.

Q: Is Rancid Earth's threshold abiltiy optional? Or am I obliged to use it with threshold once I have seven or more cards in my graveyard?

A: No, it is not a choice. If, when Rancid Earth resolves, you have seven or more cards in your graveyard, it will deal one point of damage to each creature and player.