Rules Tip of the Day: Any item on the stack can be targeted by spells or abilities. Player are not limited to targeting only the top item.

Q: Playing Pithing Needle and naming a card such as Firemane Angel, does that stop the activated ability of Firemane Angel even though it is within the graveyard? Pithing Needle doesn't specify cards in play, but we weren't sure.

A: Yes, Pithing Needle will prevent activated abilities of the named card from being played while that card is in any zone. So Pithing Needle will prevent the activated ability of Firemane Angel from being played (the activated ability if the one that returns the Firemane Angel to play). Keep in mind that it will not prevent the triggered ability of Firemane Angel from triggering.

Q: Can I make my Dimir Doppelganger a copy of a creature card in an opponent's graveyard?

A: Yes, you are not limited to targeting creature cards in your graveyard. You can make the Doppelganger a copy of any creature in any graveyard in the game.

Q: Is Golgari Thug in the graveyard by the time its ability triggers, thereby allowing it to target itself? If so, if the Golgari Thug is the only creature in the graveyard, is it forced to target itself?

A: Yes and yes. You can target the Golgari Thug itself with its own ability when it goes to your graveyard. And because this ability is not optional, you must target the Thug with its own ability if it is the only creature card in your graveyard when you choose a target for this ability. This ability is not optional and you will have to put the Thug back on top of your library if you do not have some way of removing the Thug from your graveyard before the ability resolves.

Q: What happens if I have two separate creatures equipped with Pariah's Shield?

A: Each time a source would deal damage to you, you can choose which equipped creature to have this damage redirected to. Keep in mind that you will have to redirect all of this damage to one creature, you can not divide up 4 points of damage from a single source so each equipped creature receives 2 points of damage.

Q: I have 3 cards in my hand and Mindmoil in play: I play Volcanic Hammer; the ability of Mindmoil triggers (2 cards in hand). Then in response I play Shock. The Mindmoil's ability triggers again (1 card). After resolving both spells I have to put my last card in my hand on the bottom of my library. How many cards would I draw (1 or 3 as the ability triggered 2 times)?

A: You'll end up drawing 2 cards, but only have one in your hand when these two triggered abilities have resolved. Mindmoil's triggered ability counts the number of cards you have in your hand when the ability resolves, not when the ability triggered. So you'll end up drawing one card when the first Mindmoil ability resolves. Then, provided you still have this one card when the second Mindmoil ability resolves, you'll put it on the bottom of your library and then draw just one card.

Q: When I use Dimir Doppelganger to copy a creature in a graveyard, will the copy also trigger comes into play-abilities? If I copy a Hunted Horror with Dimir Doppelganger, will my opponent get the 2 tokens?

A: No. The Doppelganger is not coming into play; its characteristics are changing. It will have the coming into play triggered ability, but it did not come into play, so the ability will not trigger.

Q: Does Concerted Effort only work for the abilities on the card, or do all your creatures gain other abilities? If I had Blinding Angel, would all my creatures have Blinding Angel's effect.

A: Concerted Effort's effect will only grant to your creatures the abilities that are listed on the card. It will not give all of your creature's Blinding Angels triggered ability if you control a Blinding Angel.

Q: If I play Blind with Anger on a creature and then use Otherworldly Journey on it, do I keep the creature for the rest of the game?

A: No. Otherworldly Journey specifically states that the targeted creature is returned to play under its owners control.

Q: We are in a Two-Headed Giant game and I control a Blazing Archon. Can my team be attacked? Or can the opposing team choose to attack my teammate and not me?

A: Your Two-Headed team will not be able to be attacked at all. In Two-Headed Giant you attack a team, not an individual player. And because the Archon prevents you from being attacked, your team will not be able to be attacked at all.