Q: If I use Reanimate on Radiant's Dragoons or Avalanche Riders, how much life do I lose? Is it four, or is it eight because of the echo ability?

A: Only four. You lose life equal to the converted mana cost; echo isn't part of that.

Q: Can I play a discarded Phyrexian Dreadnought face-down from the graveyard using Illusionary Mask, after I cast a Yawgmoth's Will?

A: No. Illusionary Mask doesn't allow you to play creature spells using an alternate mana cost; it's an activated ability. The card you put into play must be in your hand, and it's not.

Q: The text for Artificial Evolution states that you can change all instances of one creature type on a spell to another. When my opponent has a Goblin Piledriver in play, it has protection from blue and I cannot target it with Artificial Evolution. However, when my opponent announces that he is casting Goblin Piledriver, it is currently a spell, correct? So, I can cast Artificial Evolution in response to him casting the Piledriver changing all instances of"goblin" to"faerie" because a spell on the stack does not have protection from a color. Is that correct?

A: It certainly is. If an effect changes any characteristics of a spell that becomes a permanent, the effect continues to apply to the permanent when the spell resolves (rule 213.5). The spell doesn't have Protection from Blue, so it's a valid target for the Evolution; when the spell resolves, however, the creature has protection from blue.

Q: If I have a Tormod's Crypt in play, and my opponent plays Yawgmoth's Will, can I use the Crypt to remove his graveyard from the game, basically nullifying the Will? Also, if he plays the Will, and I use the Crypt, can he respond by playing, say, an Ancestral Recall that is in his graveyard? It seems to me that the Crypt isn't that much good....

A: Your opponent can respond to your activation of the Crypt by playing Instants from his graveyard. In order to keep him from playing anything, respond to him announcing the Yawgmoth's Will as a spell by activating the Crypt; that'll remove his graveyard before the Will resolves, and he won't have anything to play when it does.

Q: If I were to play a Goblin Pyromancer before I attack to pump my goblins and my opponent Astral Slides him out, will my goblins still be pumped? And will they still die at the end of the turn? If they don't, will they the turn the Pyromancer comes back to play?

A: Once the Pyromancer's coming-into-play ability resolves, the Goblins will keep the bonus, even if the Pyromancer's no longer in play. If your opponent Slides him out, he won't be in play when end-of-turn abilities trigger, so the Goblins won't be destroyed. They will be destroyed at the next end of turn, assuming the Pyromancer is still in play.

Q: Can I play morph creatures for free with Aluren? Can I flip them over for free?

A: It doesn't interact at all. Morph and Aluren are both alternate means of playing a creature spell; you have to choose one or the other.

Q: What happens if you play Radiate on a spell like Shock, and then someone Radiates the Radiate? Does this create an infinite loop?

A: You can't Radiate another Radiate. The targeting condition for Radiate is an Instant or Sorcery that targets a single permanent or player; Radiate targets a spell (which is not a permanent or player).

Q: I have a black and green deck that features Nantuko Husk as the main attraction. I know that with Mortuary out, whatever I sacrifice to the Husk goes on top of my library. What I'm wondering is if there is a combo therein with Verdant Succession.

The way I see it, with both enchantments out, I can sac a Wirewood Elf to the Husk for +2/+2. When it goes to the graveyard, I stack the abilities of the two enchantments so that first it gets put on top of my library, and then I go and search for a copy of it and put it into play. I can then sac it again to the Husk for another +2/+2. Wash, rinse, and repeat. Is this a correct assumption, or is there some flaw in my logic?

A: No flaw at all. Stack them Succession then Mortuary. The Mortuary puts it on top of your library, and Succession lets you find it.

Q: If I have a True Believer in play, can I play Nantuko Mentor's ability on another creature of mine? Can I put Armadillo Cloaks on my creatures?

A: True Believer says that you can't be the target of spells or abilities; your creatures are still targetable.

Q: Backsliding Blistering Firecat (or flipping it face-down via some other method) after damage goes on the stack but before end of turn saves him, correct? Because the card is now a nameless, colorless creature instead of Blistering Firecat, there is no legal creature to sacrifice.

A: You're right that you don't have to sacrifice him. The sacrifice is an end-of-turn triggered ability. It's not a delayed trigger created by turning the Firecat face up. That means if the Firecat is face up at end of turn - no matter how it got that way - it'll be sacrificed. If it's face down, it no longer has that ability.

Q: What would happen if I unmorphed a Chromeshell Crab before my opponent's end of turn and targeted his Blistering Firecat? I think I would have to sacrifice the cat at the end of my opponent's turn (the very same end of turn I stole him), thus making the move a waste of mana.

A: You're correct again. The Firecat has the ability no matter who controls it, and the ability instructs its controller to sacrifice it.

Q: According to the D'Angelo Rulings and Wizards' AutoCard feature, Goblin Artisans now reads...

T: Flip a coin. If you win the flip, draw a card. Otherwise, counter target artifact spell you control that isn't the target of an ability from another creature named Goblin Artisans.

There's no mention of actually having to play an artifact spell to use the ability. What's the deal?

A: The card doesn't need to say anything. The rules say that if a spell or ability has a target, there must be a legal target for you to even play that spell or ability (rule 409.1c). There must be one of your artifact spells on the stack in order for you to activate the Artisans.

Q: If someone has an Urza's Incubator in play naming Angels, can I Smother one of their Exalted Angels since its mana cost has been reduced by two?

A: No. Its mana cost hasn't been reduced. Nothing ever changes the mana cost, which is the value in the upper right-hand corner. All Urza's Incubator does is help you pay the cost when you play it.

Q: My opponent has these in play: Tephraderm, Pariah (enchanting Tephraderm), and a Furnace of Rath. I'm feeling silly and I cast Lightning Bolt targeting my opponent. How much damage is dealt back to me?

A: Twelve. The Furnace doubles the Bolt to six, which is redirected to the Tephraderm. The Tephraderm triggers on that six, which is doubled by the Furnace to twelve.

A: Does Beast Attack count as a Beast card? I want to know whether it benefits from a Krosan Warchief (and costs one mana less to play) or if it can pump up a Canopy Crawler.

A: No. It's an Instant, not a Creature. Only something that says"Creature - Beast,""Creature - <other creature type> Beast" or"Creature - Beast <other creature type>" applies (at least until the very weird day when Instants get subtypes).