Please hold while we load your cart...
Rules Tip of the Day: Mana abilities can be played whenever you have priority, during the announcement of a spell or ability you are playing, or when a spell or ability the is resolving allows for a payment of mana.
Q: If I control Infernal Kirin and play Sickening Shoal for 3BB targeting an opponent’s Eternal Witness, which would he be forced to discard, the Plow Under or the Predator's Strike in hand?
A: He would discard the Plow Under. The value of 'x' in the converted mana cost of a spell is equal to the value of X chosen when played. So the converted mana cost of the Sickening Shoal in this example is five, equal to the converted mana cost of the Plow Under.
Q: My opponent attacks me with Higure, the Still Wind, which has been made unblockable by its own ability. Can I use Curtain of Light to make it blocked?
A: Yes. A creature that is unblockable cannot be blocked by creatures at the beginning of the declaration of blockers step. However it can be blocked by spells or abilities.
Q: My opponent has an untapped Goblin Welder. I have a random artifact in my graveyard. I play Pithing Needle. Does the naming ability go to the stack? I mean, can I can name "Goblin Welder", preventing him from "welding" the Needle out? Or can he use Welder's ability in response to Needle coming into play, and by that disregard any choice I make and weld Needle out even if I name Welder.
A: You choose a card when Pithing Needle resolves, and just prior to when it comes into play. This ability does not use the stack separately from the Pithing Needle spell. If you choose 'Goblin Welder' as Pithing Needle comes into play, then your opponent will not be able to use the Welder's ability on the Pithing Needle.
Q: If a card like Twincast is played, and it copies a spell such as Beacon of Creation, does the Twincast retain the ability to be shuffled into your library upon resolution?
A: No. When Twincast resolves it makes a copy of the targeted spell and puts this copy on the stack, it does not become a copy of the targeted spell. Then Twincast will go to the graveyard as the as the last part of its own resolution. Then the copy will resolve. When it does it would be shuffled into your graveyard, but as it is not represented by a card, nothing is shuffled into your library. However you will shuffle your library.
Q: Let's say I've attacked with my Genju of the Falls-enchanted island. My friend responds by playing some nefarious red spell which deals adequate damage to blast my land spirit from the air and into the graveyard. Can I use my Soratami Cloudskater to return my Genju enchanted island to my hand before it takes damage?
A: Yes, you can. However, if you do then the Genju enchantment will go to the graveyard and not be returned to your hand. Also if this takes place before the combat damage step, then no combat damage will be dealt.
Q: I have Sakiko in play and I have three 2/2 creatures attacking and my opponent doesn't declare any blockers. Does this mean because the three 2/2 creatures did damage to the player I can add SIX green mana to my mana pool for each 1 point of damage they did. Or do I get three for each creature dealing damage?
A: You will get mana equal to the amount of damage dealt. When combat damage is dealt in this situation, Sakiko, Mother of Summer's ability will trigger each time. When each of these triggered abilities resolves you will added two green 'burnless' mana to your mana pool, for a total of six mana.
Q: How do Uba Mask and Shared Fate interact? Do you get to draw two cards, one of which goes to the pile for Uba Mask and can only be played that turn and one which would go to the Shared Fate pile and be played indefinitely? Or, would you only draw one card and you get the option of which ability applies?
A: Both Shared Fate and Uba Mask have replacement effects that try to replace what happens when you draw a card. As the affected player, you get to choose which to apply. So it is up to each player whether they remove a card from their own library face up and get the opportunity to play it until the end of turn or until Uba Mask leaves play; or if they remove a card from their opponent's library and retain the opportunity to play those cards as long as Shared Fate it in play.
