Rules Tip of the Day: Betrayers of Kamigawa will become Constructed legal on February 20, 2005. This is in the middle of this year's Extended season, so PTQs that take place on or after February 20 will allow Betrayers.

Q: Even though it's an activated ability, Damping Matrix won't stop Ninjutsu, right?

A: Correct. It is an activated ability on a creature card, not on a creature in play, so Damping Matrix does not affect it.

Q: I have Kokusho, the Evening Star in play and another Kokusho in my graveyard. If I play Goryo's Vengeance targetting the Kokusho in my graveyard while the other Kokusho is in play, what happens? Will I still remove the Kokusho targeted by Goryo's Vengeance from the game at end of turn? Or will both Kokusho end up in the graveyard? Also, if this is done in response to Final Judgment played by my opponent, what happens?

A: Both Kukusho will go to the graveyard and neither will be removed from the game. This would have the same result if Goryo's Vengeance is played in response to Final Judgment.

Q: Can I enchant an opponent's Mountain with Genju of the Spires, activate it, then ping it with Goblin Sharpshooter to kill the land? And when my opponent's mountain goes to the graveyard, will I get my Genju back so I can repeat the process?

A: Yes, works for as many times as you can pay 2R to replay the Genju and animate the enchanted mountain.

Q: Can I use Æther Vial to put Gilded Drake into play and target an opponent's attacking creature with the Drake's triggered ability and remove that creature from combat?

A: Yes. If the exchange occurs during the combat phase, any creature that changes controllers will be removed from combat.

Q: Gate to the Æther and Timesifter are in play under my control. They both trigger 'at the beginning of each player's upkeep'. Do I get to choose which one triggers first, for each player's upkeep? Also, if I trigger Gate to the Æther first, and play a revealed card, does Timesifter then remove a new 'top of the library' card, and vice versa?

A: Both of these abilities trigger at the same time, but because you control them you can determine the order that they go on the stack and therefore the order that they resolve. So yes, if the Gate ability resolves first and that revealed card is put into play, then the Timeshifter ability will see a new top card. However, if when the Gate ability resolves a Sorcery or Instant is revealed or if that player chooses to not put this card into play then the Timesifter will 'see' that card.

Q: With two Fatespinners in play do I have to choose two separate phases to skip or can I just choose one phase for both?

A: Each Fatespinner triggered ability will resolves separately. However when each does you can choose to skip the same step twice. There is nothing that states that you must choose to skip a different step or phase when the second ability resolves.

Q: When you Stifle Parallax Wave's leaves-play trigger do all the creatures come back as a single ability for purposes of Stifle or do they come back in as separate events.

A: All of the creatures removed by the Wave are returned to play at the same time. If you Stifle the Parallax Wave's leaves play triggered ability then none of the creatures removed by the Wave will come back.

Q: What happens if you play Blood Frenzy on an activated Mishra Factory? Is it destroyed or is it changed to land first and is not destroyed because it is not a creature anymore? My friend attacked me with his Factory and I blocked with my Mogg Maniac and played Blood Frenzy on the Factory. In the end he said it turns back to land and is not affected by Blood Frenzy anymore.

A: Your friend is incorrect. Blood Frenzy's effect will destroy the animated Mishra's Factory. First of all, Blood Frenzy's delayed triggered ability will resolve before the Factory de-animates and stops being a creature. This is because Blood Frenzy crates a delayed triggered ability that goes on the stack in the end of turn step and the Factory stops being a creature in the Cleanup step, which comes later in the turn. Second of all, even if it were the reverse, the Factory would be destroyed because when a card refers to a permanent type like Blood Frenzy does it really means the targeted permanent.