Rules Tip of the Day: When a spell that makes a copy of another spell—like Twincast, Fork, or Wild Ricochet—resolves, it does not become a copy of the targeted spell; it creates a copy of the targeted spell and puts this copy on the stack.

Q: Can you fulfill the requirements of the Shards of Alara Herald cards by sacrificing a single creature with the three given colors, or do you have to sacrifice three separate creatures with the colors?

A: You need to sacrifice three different creatures: one of each of the specified colors. A creature can be more than one color, but that does not fulfill the requirement of sacrificing an additional creature. Keep in mind that you can sacrifice the Herald itself as one of those creatures.

Q: Can you remove a creature in the graveyard in response to its unearth ability being used to prevent the unearth from happening?

A: Yes. Unearth is an activated ability that will return the unearthed card to play when the activated ability resolves. However, if the source of the ability is removed from the graveyard before the unearth ability resolves, then nothing will happen when the ability resolves.

Q: I have Ethersworn Canonist in play, and my opponent plays Nameless Inversion targeting it. Will he be able to play another nonartifact spell that turn?

A: Yes, as the Canonist will not be in play once the Nameless Inversion resolves. That ability only prevents players from playing more than one nonartifact spell as long as it is in play.

Q: With Brilliant Ultimatum, does your opponent get to look at the cards before separating them into piles?

A: Yes. Unless specified, cards that are removed from the game are face-up.

Q: If Traitor's Roar targets a creature with lifelink, would my opponents life stay the same?

A: Yes, provided that when Traitor's Roar resolves, his life total is not lower than the power of the targeted creature. When Traitor's Roar resolves, the targeted creature will deal damage to its controller. If this creature has lifelink, it will trigger at this time. After Traitor's Roar resolves, state-based effects will be checked. Provided that this player has not received lethal damage, the game will continue. Then the lifelink triggered ability will go on the stack. When this ability resolves this player's life total will end up going back to where it was before Traitor's Roar resolved.

Q: My friend has an Inkfathom Witch and a Lord of Atlantis. He attacks me with the Witch; I don't block, and he changes it to a 4/1 with its ability. Will it actually become a 5/2 from the Lord, or stay as a 4/1 until end of turn?

A: It will be a 5/2. The effect from Lord of Atlantis's static ability is applied after the power- and toughness-setting ability of the Inkfathom Witch.

Q: If I have Enchanted Evening in play as well as Aura of Silence, will my opponent's spells cost two more to playÊ

A: No. Enchanted Evening only makes permanents in play into enchantments; it does not affects spells on the stack.

Q: How does Seht's Tiger interact with Donate? I understand that if I resolve a Tiger before Donate goes on the stack and choose protection from blue, I will be an invalid target for Donate, but what happens after Donate is already on the stack?

A: The Donate will resolve and nothing will happen, as you have protection from blue. The permanent that was targeted by Donate may still be a legal target, but you are not. Because of this, you cannot be affected by this Donate, and you will not gain control of the targeted permanent.

Q: If I use Liliana Vess's third ability to put all creatures in all graveyards into play under my control and it uses all of her loyalty counters, can I use a Boomerang to return Liliana to my hand before she goes to the graveyard?

A: No, immediately after using that ability, state-based effects will be checked and Liliana will go to the graveyard, as she will not have any loyalty counters on her. This will happen before you can play any other spells or abilities.

Q: Player A has an Eight-and-a-Half Tails, and player B has a Pyromatics, which he plays and replicates twice. Player A then turne the main spell white and gives Eight-and-a-Half Tails protection from white. Will the replicate copies be white?

A: Just the targeted spell will be white. The copies of Pyromantics that are put on the stack do not copy the color changing effect that has been applied to the original.

Q: With Spellshift, can the controlling player of the countered spell choose not to play the revealed card and put it in their hand?

A: No. They can either play the revealed instant or sorcery at that time or they can choose to have it remain in their library. They cannot choose to not play this card and have it go to their hand.