Rules Tip of the Day: Pithing Needle's static ability only prevents activated abilities of the named card form being played while the Needle is in play. Once Pithing Needle is removed from play, activated abilities of the named card can be played again. Keep in mind that if a Needle leaves play and that same card returns to play, it is considered to be a new permanent and it will not have any connection to the effect when that card was previously in play.

Q: When Twincasting my Choice of Damnations, can I choose to announce my Twincast after my opponent has declared his number? Is it possible to spring on him the fact that he has to deal with this nasty spell twice after he has chosen a number for the first one?

A: Your opponent does not choose a number for Choice of Damnations until it resolves. By that time, it will be too late to play Twincast and make a copy of it. So no, you cannot make your opponent choose a number and then make a copy with Twincast.

Q: If I remove one Time Stop to Kaho, Minamo Historian can I play that one Time Stop several times because it is removed form the game again when it resolves?

A: No. When you play Timestop and it goes from the removed from game zone to the stack it is treated as a new Timestop. It does not matter that it is later removed from the game again, the effect from Kaho will not see this card as the same one it removed from the game earlier.

Q: I played Shifting Borders during my opponent's end of turn step targetting my Oboro, Palace in the Clouds and my opponent's Boseiju, Who Shelters All, and then I activate my Oboro's ability returning it to my hand. Now the question is will Shifting Borders resolve?

A: Yes, Shifting Borders will still resolve, but it will fail to do anything when it does resolve as the exchange cannot take place. It seems to me that what you want to do is activate the ability of Oboro, Palace in the Clouds first and then without passing priority, respond by playing Shifting Borders. This way the exchange will happen first and then Oboro will be returned to your hand.

Q: In a multiplayer game if two Kokusho, the Evening Star are played and one opponent is at six life, would the controller of Kokusho gain 10 life or 6 life from these abilities?

A: The controller of these two Kokusho's will gain 10 life. A player can lose life that is greater than his life total.

Q: What happens if I attack with Yukora, the Prisoner and Ninjitsu in Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni? Does the Ink-Eyes have to be sacrificed?

A: No. Because you return this unblocked attacking Yukora to your hand as a cost to play the Ninjutsu ability, Yukora's leaves play triggered ability will trigger then and go on the stack on top of the ninjutsu ability. This triggered ability will resolve before the ninjutsu ability does, and Ink-Eyes will not be in play at that point.

Q: I have Ivory Mask in play, my opponent plays Gifts Ungiven and gets four random cards. Since Gifts Ungiven reads "target opponent chooses..." what happens to the four cards?

A: All targets of a targeted spell or ability are chosen when the spell or ability is played. If the necessary targets can not be chosen, then the ability can not be played. The four cards will remain in your opponent's library because he can not even play Gift's Ungiven.

Q: I have Last Laugh and Goblin Trenches in play. If I sacrifice a land to the Trenches, do I get to choose which order the two abilities go on the stack? Or will the Last Laugh trigger first?

A: No, you cannot choose the order that these abilities go on the stack. Goblin Trenches does not have a triggered ability, it has an activated ability. When you play this ability it goes on the stack as the first part of announcement. Later in the announcement, you pay for this ability by sacrificing a land and paying two mana. Sacrificing his land will cause Last Laugh's ability to trigger, however this triggered ability will wait until after you complete the announcement before it goes on the stack, on top of the Trench's ability.

Q: Will Elvish Vanguard get +1/+1 for each Forest when I play Ambush Commander? And will he get +1/+1 for Forest I play after Ambush Commander?

A: As long as you control Ambush Commander, the Forests you play will into play as Elves and because of this the Vanguard's ability will trigger. However this ability will not trigger for the Forests that are already in play when Ambush Commander comes into play, as those permanents are do not come into play.