Rules Tip of the Day: Some spells and abilities allow you to choose "up to" a specified number of targets. In these instances you can choose zero targets.

Q: What happens if I Twincast on my own Brain Freeze with a storm effect of 4. Does the Twincast put 3 or 12 cards in his graveyard ?

A: The copy of Brain Freeze will not trigger Storm. The Storm ability does not trigger unless the Storm spell is played. Copies that are put on the stack do not trigger the Storm ability. So the copy created by Twincast will only mill an additional three cards. It does not matter that you played Twincast, when it resolves it still puts a copy of the targeted spell on the stack.

Q: Can I play the ability of an Icy Manipulator (or anything else that taps an artifact for that matter) to tap Pithing Needle to then use an activated ability of a card that has otherwise been neutralized with the artifact? For example, I have a Psychatog and my opponent used a Pithing Needle to keep my Psychatog from pumping up.  Can I tap my opponent's Pithing Needle so that I can now pump up my Psychatog?

A: No. Tapping Pithing Needle does not stop its effect or allow the named card to use its activated abilities. It used to be that all artifacts lost their abilities when tapped. However that was changed with the introduction of the 6th Edition rules just over six years ago. Now there are only a few artifacts whose effects "turn off" when they are tapped.

Q: If I cast Genju of the Realms on an opponents' land, then activate it on my turn, does their land become a Legendary Spirit Land? Will it enable my creature with Legendary Landwalk to use that ability?

A: Yes, that does work. Genju of the Realm makes the enchanted land into a Legendary creature. Because it is still a land, your creature with Legendary Landwalk will be unblockable.

Q: Does Yamabushi's Flame work the same way as Carbonize? Can it prevent a creature with regeneration from regenerating, say like Isao the enlightened Bushi?

A: No, Yamabushi's Flame is slightly different from Carbonize. Carbonize specifically states that the creature targeted by Carbonize can not regenerate this turn, whereas Yamabushi's Flame does not have that text. So a creature dealt damage by Yamabushi's Flame can regenerate and therefore not go to the graveyard.

Q: If I use Vision Charm with Isochron Scepter, to phases out the Scepter, when Isochron Scepter returns to play it would return with the imprinted card? For example, I imprint Vision Charm on the Scepter, then another player plays Naturalize targeting the Scepter. I use the Scepter to make a copy of Vision Charm and phase out the Scepter itself. Will it return to play with Vision Charm imprinted?

A: When a permanent phases out of play and then back into play it is still the same permanent. This means that it will still have the Vision Charm imprinted onto it.

Q: If you have Joiner Adept and 4 Cloudposts in play, would the Cloudposts tap for 16 colored mana because of Joiner Adept's effect?

A: No. With Joiner Adept in play these Cloudposts have two activated mana abilities; one that allows them to tap for one colored mana and one that allows then to tap for colorless mana equal to the number of Cloudposts in play. These abilities are separate and not connected to each other in any way.

Q: I know from your card rules database that if you use Spectral Shift to change the land type on a Genju it will fall off. Does the same hold true for Spreading Algae?  If I change "Swamp" to "Plains" will the Algae fall off of my Swamp?  What if I change the text of spell before it resolves to a land type that my opponent controls.  Does he then have to target one of his lands?

A: Spreading Algae works just like the Genjus. You can either make it fall off of the enchanted Swamp by changing the type of this land, or you can counter the Algae spell by changing the text of the spell.

Q: In a multi-player game: Player A has 20 life, Player B has 5 life, and Player C has 4 life. Player C has Kokusho, The Evening Star in play. Player B attacks Player C with two 5/5 creatures and Player C blocks with his Kokusho.

When a player and creature die at the same time, do "Goes to the graveyard" effects controlled by that player go onto the stack - will Player A and B lose 5 life? We assume Player C is dead regardless, is this correct?

A: You are correct that Player C will lose the game before Kokusho's ability can resolves and give him additional life. With regard to the other two players, most people play that when a player leaves a multi-player game that all objects controlled by them on the stack are removed from the game, and triggered abilities controlled by this player waiting to go on the stack will not be put on the stack at all. So in this instance the Kokusho ability will not cause Player A and B to lose 5 life. This is how the proposed multi-player rules handle this situation as well.