Q: Does a"free" Force of Will need to pay the extra three from Nether Void?

A: Yes. It's not an additional cost to play the spell (but you'd still have to pay it if it was). Nether Void has a triggered ability; when the trigger resolves, you either pay three or the spell is countered.

Q: My opponent has two Decrees of Silence in play. When I play a spell, will both Decrees get a counter?

A: Yes, both will trigger and resolve because the Decree's ability does not target the spell.

Q: My opponent is a Beast Bidding deck. (That's a lot easier than actually playing a human - The Ferrett) I'm playing a G/W Beast deck. My opponent played a Patriarch's Bidding and named"beast." I have both Ravenous Baloth and Exalted Angel in my graveyard. If I name"angel," would both my beast and angel go back into play?

A: Yes. Bidding puts back into play all named creatures of the appropriate type(s).

Q: I control two Standstills (put into play by Replenish). My opponent plays Ancestral Recall on his turn and attempts to Stifle the triggered ability on one of the Standstills. What happens?

A: Both Standstills trigger when he plays the Ancestral. They trigger again when he targets one of the abilities with the Stifle. The newer triggers resolve, you sacrifice the Standstills, you draw six cards. Ancestral resolves (unless you draw something with which to counter it).

Q: Exactly what sort of ability is the"Pay four during your upkeep to untap" ability on Mana Vault? My opponent had it in play while I had a Null Rod out and a Stifle in hand, but as far as I can tell neither of those cards can stop it from untapping. So if it's not triggered or activated, what is it exactly? Looks like some sort of optional upkeep.

A: Mana Vault's ability is triggered, and you can stop it with Stifle. That being said, you have to Stifle it before he decides to pay the mana, because the payment is made on resolution of the triggered ability.

Q: If I have Cowardice on the field and I target an opponent's creature with my Riptide Mangler's ability, does my Mangler get the targeted creature's power before it is bounced?

A: No. The Mangler's ability will be countered on resolution because the target is no longer in play.

Q: In the Sideboard's coverage of US Nationals this statement appears"During sideboarding, Pustilnik made sure to point out to me the two Nantuko Vigilantes coming in, which would obviously be good against Finkel's Lingering Deaths."

It was my understanding that Lingering Death set up a delayed triggered ability that would continue on even if the enchantment was removed from the creature. Am I correct in this regard? The quote seems to suggest differently.

A: You're not. Lingering Death is worded a little strangely, but it's still an enchantment that has a triggered ability when it's in play. If it's not in play at end of turn, it won't trigger.

Q: The other day I was playing my white deck against my friends green deck. He attacked with a pumped-up creature and I blocked with a 1/1 creature. I then used Humble on his creature to make it 0/1. After the effect of Humble resolves and his creature is a 0/1, can he then use Giant Growth to make it 3/4? I don't think he can because it says he is 0/1"until end of turn," but my friend insists he can. Who is right?

A: In a rare instance, your friend is right. The effects are applied in the order they resolve. Humble makes is 0/1. Then the Giant Growth makes it 3/4."Until end of turn" also means"unless it's later changed by something else."

Q: Let's say I cast Mind's Desire, and with the storm ability it gets up to a number greater than the number of cards in my library. Does this mean that I lose the game, since I can no longer remove cards from the game, even though I am not drawing them?

A: No. You don't lose until you can't draw a card. The extra copies will just fail to do anything because, as you point out, Mind's Desire doesn't make you draw.

Q: Can you pump a 1/1 creature with Pendelhaven, and while the ability is still on the stack, pump him again with Aegis of the Meek?

A: No. Being a 1/1 creature is a targeting condition for both abilities. That means the creature must still be 1/1 when the ability resolves, or the ability will be countered.

Q: When I play Read the Runes, can I use a combination of sacrificing and discarding, or do I have to either discard or sacrifice permanents??

A: You can use a combination of discarding and sacrificing.

Q: Will having a Spellbane Centaur in play protect my creatures if my opponent casts a Gilded Drake?

A: Yes it will, because Gilded Drake's triggered ability is from a blue source.

Q: Can I cast a Skulltap and sacrifice a Mindslicer to it, discarding my hand and then draw the cards?

A: Yes. You announce Skulltap; it goes on the stack. You sacrifice Mindslicer to pay the cost. Mindslicer's trigger goes on the stack. It resolves, everyone discards; then you draw two.