Q: I have been asked to make a ruling on an opponent playing a spell, with Decree of Silence in play, and then countering the opponent's spell with Mana Leak. Here is my answer...just want to make sure I'm not off track with it:

First, Decree of Silence is an enchantment with an activated ability of an opponent playing a spell, and a state-based effect of having counters on it to make it remain in play.

• Opponent plays a spell (Goblin Goon), generating a stack.
• Decree of Silence automatically checks to see if it has any counters on it, making it remain in play, and sees that it is still a legal enchantment, then checks to see if your opponent cast a spell, which he did, so the decree looses a counter and counters the Goblin Goon.
• Priority is passed to you at this point
• You cast Mana Leak, countering the Goblin Goon.

The stack resolves.

Your Mana Leak resolves first, countering the Goblin Goon. Then Decree of Silence checks to see if the Goblin Goon is still on the stack to counter it. This is the sucky part.... Your Decree of Silence still loses a counter, because your opponent played a spell triggering the ability of the Decree, though there is no spell for it to target.

A: Your nomenclature is a little off on Decree of Silence. It doesn't have an activated ability, it has a triggered ability. The counters are not a state-based effect, but part of the resolution of the triggered ability. The check to see if it has three counters happens just after you put the counter on, still part of the resolution of the ability, as is the sacrifice if the condition is met. Note that Decree of Silence's ability is not triggered; that becomes important later.

• Opponent (Player B) plays Goblin Goon.
• Decree of Silence triggers and goes on stack.
• Player A (for reasons I still don't understand) plays Mana Leak, targeting Goblin Goon.
• Mana Leak resolves, countering Goon.
• Decree of Silence resolves. There's no spell to counter, but the rest of the ability will still resolve. The only time a spell or ability is countered on resolution is because of an illegal or invalid target. As I mention above, it's not targeted, so it can't be countered because of targets. You follow the remainder of the instructions, putting on a counter, and sacrificing the Decree if the counter is the third.

Q: I have a Pandemonium in play, and I get to bring in my Shivan Dragon. With my extra red mana, can I pump him up to a 6/5 before stacking the Pandemonium trigger, and win the game - or am I stuck with a one-life opponent across the table?

A: I don't think we've ever specifically gotten this one. Pandemonium looks at the creature's power when the triggered ability resolves, so you can indeed pump up the Dragon in response to the trigger going on the stack.

Q: Can I cast a Primeval Force with five mana? When I cast it, it forces me to sacrifice three forests. Can I tap the forests to cast the force, then sacrifice three forests that are tapped?

A: You can sacrifice the three you tapped.

Q: If I have a Clone in play, and Astral Slide removes it from the game, what happens when it comes back into play at the end of the turn? Do I choose a creature for it to copy?

A: Clone can choose something new to copy. The choice is part of the resolution of the ability that puts it into play.

Q: I cast a Steam Vines on my opponents land; he taps the land, moving the enchantment to one of my lands. If I then play Sacred Ground and then tap the land for mana, do I get the land back after it's destroyed?

A: No. You still control Steam Vines, no matter who moved it last. It won't trigger Sacred Ground.

Q: If I have an Ageless Sentinels in play as a Giant Bird, not a wall (since it has blocked) and my opponent targets it using Astral Slide's ability. When it comes back into play, is it a Wall or a Giant Bird?

A: It's a Wall. Creatures that Slide are treated as if they were just played. A creature that leaves play and come back has no memory of its former"life."

Q: If I have a Krosan Drover in play and I play a Root Elemental face-down for three, can I then turn it up for its morph cost and subtract two mana thanks t the Drover's ability, or does the Drover's ability only apply to creatures played from my hand?

A: The Drover's ability only applies to spells played from your hand. It will apply to additional costs (like Kicker), but not to activating abilities or turning a morph face-up.

Q: My opponent and I are both playing Astral Slide decks. I attack with Exalted Angel and my opponent blocks with his. We then both agree to put damage on the stack. If I Slide my angel out before damage resolves by cycling a Starstorm, I know my opponent won't gain life - but will I gain life? I think I do because damage is on the stack and it triggers the life gain for my Angel, and it doesn't matter if it is not in play when the trigger resolves.

A: You won't gain life either because it must be in play when damage resolves for the life gain ability to trigger. It doesn't trigger when you put damage on the stack; it waits for the damage to resolve.

Q: A very simple question about Story Circle and the color that has been chosen: Can I cast Mind Bend, and change that chosen color? If not - as I am inclined to think - is there any card that would change that chosen color?

A: There's no color word on Story Circle, so Mind Bend won't have anything to change. There's currently no card that can change a chosen color.