Rules Tip of the Day: Triggered abilities of permanents only trigger when the permanent with the triggered ability is in play when the trigger condition is met.

Q: If Flickerwisp's ability removes an Armored Ascension that is attached to a 1/1 Kithkin Soldier token, what happens to the Aura at end of turn? Does it reattach to a creature, stay removed, or go to the graveyard?

A: It will be returned to play and attached to a creature when it returns, assuming that there is a legal object for it to enchant. The controller of the Aura will choose what it becomes attached to when it comes back into play.

Q: I have Cauldron of Souls and an Aquastrand Spider in play. The Spider is targeted by a Puncture Bolt. In response, I give it persist with the Cauldron. What happens now? I think the Spider will not be returned to play by the persist ability due to some state-based effects or layer shenanigans... but what exactly happens here?

A: The Spider will stay in the graveyard. When Puncture Bolt resolves, it puts a -1/-1 counter on this Spider and deals one point of damage to it. Then state-based effects are checked. At this point the -1/-1 counter and one +1/+1 counter will cease to exist, and the Spider will go to the graveyard. Because it is never in play after the -1/-1 counter is removed from it, the persist ability given to it by the Cauldron of Souls will not trigger.

Q: I'm a bit confused about how the timing on Merrow Commerce, Seedborn Muse, and Murkfiend Liege work when there are multiple copies in play. I've been told that Merrow Commerce's ability stacks, letting the player untap up to four times at the end of their turn. Does Seedborn Muse and Murkfiend Lige work the same? If not, why not?

A: You are correct that Merrow Commerce's ability is cumulative. However, its ability is different from the abilities of the two other cards you mentioned. Seedborn Muse and Murkfiend Liege have static abilities, while Merrow Commerce's ability is a triggered ability. During an opponent's upkeep, you will untap permanents you control just once, regardless of the number of Seedborn Muses or Murkfiend Lieges you control. This is because the effect from each of these abilities is applied at the same time, when your opponent untaps. At the end of each turn, the ability of each Merrow Commerce in play will trigger once. Each of these abilities uses the stack and will resolve separately.

Q: Does Leering Emblem's ability trigger with cards that have storm or replicate?

A: No, storm and replicate copies are not played. They will obviously trigger for the initial spell, but not for the copies.

Q: When a tapped creature with persist leaves play without a -1/-1 counter on it, does it return to play tapped or untapped?

A: It is a new creature, so it will come into play untapped unless it normally comes into play tapped. It does not matter what its tapped / untapped status was when it left play.

Q: Can Bog Rats be blocked by creatures with defender such as Drift of Phantasms?

A: Yes. Drift of Phantasms is not a Wall. It has defender, but not all creatures with Defender are Walls.

Q: When I play Do or Die, if there is only one creature in play, am I still allowed to play it? If so, will that creature live or die?

A: Yes, you can still play Do or Die, but this one creature will most likely not be destroyed. When Do or Die resolves, you arrange all creatures controlled by the targeted player into two piles. As there is only one creature in play, the two piles will consist of this one creature, and nothing. Then the targeted player will choose which pile we wants to have destroyed. He will most likely choose the empty pile.

Q: Can Sliver Queen, Sliver Overlord, and Sliver Legion all be in play together? Or do they destroy each other due to the legendary rule?

A: Yes, they can all be in play at the same time. The legend rule only applies to legendary permanents with the same name.

Q: I was wondering how Sygg, River Cutthroat works in Two-Headed Giant. Does the opposing team have to lose three, five, or six life?

A: What the opposing team loses does not matter; the life that an individual player loses does. So if one player loses three life, then this ability will trigger. However, if the two players on the team combined lost three life—i.e., one lost two life and the other one life—then the ability will not trigger. If the team loses five or more life, then the ability is guaranteed to trigger. With Sygg in play you will have to keep track of what life individual opponents lose.