Rules Tip of the Day: Mana abilities can only be played when you have priority, during the announcement of a spell or ability you are playing, or when a spell or ability that is resolving allows for a payment of mana.

Q: I have a question regarding the entwine mechanic. If I play Memory Plunder on Reap and Sow, can I play the spell for both abilities, or I can choose only one?

A: You can choose both modes, but you'll have to pay the entwine cost. Memory Plunder allows you to play the targeted instant or sorcery without paying its mana cost. It does not allow you to take advantage of the spell's additional costs without paying for them, but it also does not prohibit you from paying them, either.

Q: In a multiplayer game, my buddy's persist creature was dealt lethal damage, then returned to play. Another player played Crushing Pain on the creature, and we weren't sure if that worked.

A: No, that does not work. The creature that is returned to play via the persist ability is a different creature, and it cannot be targeted by Crushing Pain unless you can find some other way to deal damage to it first. The damage that was dealt to the creature that was previously in play does not count.

Q: I am using Mana Reflection in conjunction with Doubling Cube. If I tap four lands, producing eight mana, and use three of the mana to activate Doubling Cube, how much mana would I end up with?

A: Doubling Cube's ability will end up producing 10 mana. When Doubling Cube's ability resolves, it will produce five mana, because you have five mana in your mana pool at that time. Mana Reflection's ability will double this, giving you five more mana, for a total of 10. So you'd end up with a total of 15 mana.

Q: I have Hostility in play, and I play Incendiary Command, choosing four damage to the opponent and two damage to each creature. How do I handle the prevention effect of Hostility? Will the token 3/1s generated die due to the two damage, or they are created after the resolution of Incendiary Command?

A: You will not end up with any token creatures, as they will receive lethal damage during the resolution of the spell in which they are created. When resolving a Command from Lorwyn, you follow the text in the order written. This means that you will deal four damage to your opponent, which will be prevented and you will put four 3/1 creatures into play instead. Then these creatures (and all others in play) will receive two points of damage. All of this happens during the resolution of the Command; you do not get the token creatures after it resolves.

Q: I have enchanted myself with Paradox Haze. If I put mana into my mana pool during my first upkeep, then start my second upkeep, is the mana I produced still there?

A: Yes. Mana does not empty from your mana pool until the end of the current phase. The beginning phase contains your untap, upkeep, and draw steps. Any additional upkeep steps will still be in this same phase.

Q: Using Aquastrand Spider in combination with Spike Feeder, or any other creature with a +1/+1 counter not from the Spider, would you still be able to pass the ability to block flying creatures to those with the counters?

A:Yes. Aquastrand Spider's ability can target any creature with a +1/+1 counter on it, not just those that received a +1/+1 counter from the Spider's graft ability.

Q: If a Hornet Cannon is used to make a token, and the Hornet Cannon is destroyed before the end of turn, will the token still die, or does that ability go away with the Cannon?

A: The token will still be destroyed at the end of the turn. Hornet Cannon's activated ability puts a token creature into play and creates a delayed triggered ability. This delayed triggered ability will cause the token creature to be destroyed, even if Hornet Cannon is not in play.

Q: If you played Overgrowth on a tapped land, would you recieve mana burn for not using the extra mana it gave?

A: Overgrowth's ability only triggers when you tap the enchanted land for mana. Its ability does not trigger when it becomes attached to an already tapped land. You will not get any mana in this situation.

Q: If I have a Stop That in my graveyard and a Stop That in my hand, can I respond to an audible flick by playing Stop That in response to the flick and then say "gotcha" after the resolution to get both Stop That cards back in my hand?

A: No. Stop That has a triggered ability that only triggers if it is in your graveyard when your opponent flicks his cards. When this ability resolves, you can call him on it. If you do, you return the Stop That card in your graveyard to your hand. The ability of a Stop That card will not trigger unless it is in your graveyard when your opponent flicks his cards.