Rules Tip of the Day: Lands are usually colorless permanents, even though they tap for colored mana.

Q: My friend plays a Shaman En-Kor, with Sandskin on it. Can he block an attacking creature with a second creature, redirect the damage to the Shaman, and the damage be prevented by the sandskin, or will it not work by way of changing the source of the damage?

A: The source and nature of the damage remains the same even if the damage is redirected. It's still combat damage, so it will be prevented by Shaman en-Kor's ability.

Q: I have Damping Matrix in play to prevent the activated ability of my opponent's Ravenous Baloth. I play Shrapnel Blast and sacrifice the Damping Matrix as an additional cost, targeting his Baloth. Can he response by activating his Baloth's ability?

A: Yes, he can. As soon as the Damping Matrix leaves play, which is during announcement of Shrapnel Blast, its continuous effect no longer applies. After you're done announcing Shrapnel Blast, he can respond by sacrificing his Baloth.

Q: All I hear about is how great Damping Matrix is. I even heard that it stops Affinity. Does it?

A: No. Damping Matrix does not stop Affinity, because Affinity is a static ability, not an activated one.

Q: I attack with Memnarch and he is blocked by a Yotian Soldier and a 1/1 Slith Ascendant. Before damage goes on the stack, I use Memnarch's second ability to take control of the Yotian Soldier. My opponent claims that the Soldier will still deal damage to Memnarch, because he was declared a blocker already. I believed that switching sides during combat removes a creature from combat. The judge ruled in his favor, and the extra damage allowed him to Barbed Lightning my Memnarch for the final 3 points. I find it highly unlikely that two creatures controlled by the same player can deal combat damage to each other. Who was right? I don't know why I didn't appeal.

A: You should have appealed. You're correct that a creature removed from combat before the combat damage step will not deal or receive combat damage. Once damage is on the stack, however, the creature will receive it as assigned, regardless of whether it's still in combat or not (rule 310.4a).

Q: If I have Skirk Propector and Goblin Warchief in play and play Siege-Gang Commander, can I still get the discount if I sacrifice the Warchief to the Prospector for mana?

A: Yes. First, you determine the cost to play Siege-Gang Commander (2RR, because of the reduction of 1 from the Warchief). That cost is locked in and won't change (rule 409.1f). Then you play mana abilities (which can be sacrificing a Goblin) and finally pay the cost.

Q: Can I equip Skullclamp onto Viridian Zealot and then sacrifice him to destroy an artifact or enchantment and still draw the card?

A: No. As soon as the Skullclamp ability resolves, you'll put the Zealot into the graveyard as a State-Based effect before you get priority to activate the Zealot's ability. Your choice with these two cards is simple: either destroy an artifact/enchantment with the Zealot or draw cards from the Skullclamp--not both.

Q: I have Astral Slide in play and my opponent uses Bribery to gain control of one of my creatures. What happens if I slide that creature out? Would I gain control of that creature since I own it?

A: Yes you would, because the card specifically says it returns under its owner's control.

Q: My opponent does a combo to gain 15 million life. I play Platium Angel and an Isochron Scepter imprinting Final Fortune. I then activate the Scepter every turn and attack with Angel every turn, but my opponent won't concede. Is this a draw or a win for me after time runs out?

A: It's a draw. Your opponent is under no compunction to concede. In order to win, you have to actually win in the time alloted, not simply be in a situation where you can't lose.

Q: When it's my time to sideboard, can I shuffle my sideboard into my deck, remove 15 cards, and be done? That would prevent my opponent from having any idea on how much/what I sideboard against them. Do I have to tell my opponent after how many cards I sideboarded?

A: There's no rule that says you have to tell your opponent how many cards you've sided in/out. You can shuffle in the whole SB and then take out 15 if you like. If I recall correctly, this technique was popularized some time ago by YMG's Rob Dougherty, among others.

Q: If I have Mortuary, Death Pits Of Rath and Pestilence, I pay one black mana, destroy all creatures, and my creatures go to the top of my library. Can I put my creatures back on top of my library in any order?

A: Kind of, but you'll have to know what you're doing because they don't all go at the same time (unlike, say, with Wrath of God). After the Pestilence ability resolves, Death Pits of Rath triggers. Before you put the Death Pits triggers on the stack, you'll put into the creatures that were destroyed by the one point of damage into the graveyard, triggering Mortuary for them.

Now that you have priority, you'll put X Mortuary and Y Death Pits of Rath triggers on the stack, in any order you choose. Each time you resolve a Death Pits trigger, it will trigger Mortuary, putting that on top of the stack. The bottom line is that you put the Death Pits and subsequent Mortuary trigger on the stack first for the creature you want on the top.