Rules Tip of the Day: While many cards have effects that raise or lower the amount of mana you must pay when playing a spell—like the Tempest Talismans, the Familiars from Planeshift or Grand Arbiter Augustin IVnothing changes the converted mana cost of a card.
Q: If I have Experiment Kraj in play, and another creature with a +1/+1 on it is enchanted with Pemmin's Aura, does the Kraj also gain the activated ability of the enchantment?
A: No. Experiment Kraj only gains the abilities that creatures with +1/+1 counters have. Pemmin's Aura may give you plenty of options, but it doesn't actually give any activated abilities to the creature it enchants.
Q: Can you explain the interaction between Evermind and Grand Arbiter Augustin IV? If I splice Evermind onto a non-blue Arcane spell, will it cost one less?
A: Yes, this spell will cost one less. In the process of playing a spell or ability, when you calculate costs, the characteristic-setting text of the spliced Evermind will be affecting this spell, so this spell will be blue.
Q: If, when Coiling Oracle's ability resolves, a Simic Growth Chamber is put into play, will it be put into play tapped, and will I have to return a land to my land?
A: Yes, both of these abilities will be applied. This land will be put into play tapped and you will have to return a land to your hand. It does not matter that it was put into play without being played.
Q: How does Eye of the Storm interact with Rule of Law? If a player tries playing an instant or sorcery, that is the one spell allowed per turn. The spell would be removed via the Eye, and no effect of the original card would occur. Will the Eye be able to place copies of spells removed by the eye onto the stack, or is this shut down by Rule of Law?
A: With Rule of Law in play, you won't be able to play any other spells that turn, including the copy of the spell that just triggered the Eye. This pretty much counters all non-creature spells for as long as these two enchantments are in play.
Q: I have Neko-Te attached to a Ronin Cliffrider that's attacking. Before the Ronin Cliffrider's non-Bushido triggered ability resolves, I play Natural Affinity, turning all lands into 2/2 creatures. When all the Neko-Te triggers resolve, all my opponents creatures become tapped, and they won't untap until Neko-Te leaves play. But when the "until the end of turn" abilities go away, will the lands still have the Neko-Te curse on them? Will they untap in my opponent's next untap step?
A: The lands controlled by your opponent that were in play, animated and dealt damage by the Neko-Te equipped Ronin Cliffrider will remain tapped for as long as Neko-Te remains in play. If does not matter that they are no longer creatures; the effect from Neko-Te's ability will keep them locked down. Neko-Te's ability does refer to keeping creatures tapped, but it is really referring to the appropriate permanents regardless of what their current types are.
Q: My opponent has several Arcbound Hybrids in play. I play Death Watch on one of his modular creatures, and subsequently destroy the enchanted creature. What happens? Are the +1/+1 tokens moved before or after Death Watch's effect is applied? Also, what about any equipment that gives power and/or toughness bonuses on the Death Watch'ed creature? Does the equipment come off before or after Death Watch fires?
A: When Death Watch's triggered ability resolves, the game will use the last known information about this creature. In the first example, assuming that there was no other effect applied to this hybrid, then your opponent would lose two life, and you would gain two life. Any effects that were applied to this creature will be factored in when determining the life gained and lost, so with regards to equipment, yes, these effects will be applied.
Q: It was explained to me that Coffin Queen and Avalanche Riders can get you one land per turn. The reason this works is because nothing goes on the stack in the untap step, and therefore the untap trigger from Coffin Queen goes on the stack only in the upkeep. Then, you stack the Echo trigger on top of the Queen's trigger, and the Riders go to the graveyard instead of being removed from the game. Does it really work that way?
What about Helm of Possession? Can you untap it, and then, with the untap trigger on the stack, sacrifice the stolen creature to steal another creature, and thus repeat this every turn?
A: Yes, the trick with Coffin Queen and Avalanche Riders does work as it was described to you, for the reasons you gave. However, the ability of Helm of Possession is different from Coffin Queen's. The Helm's ability grants control of the targeted creature to you for as long as the Helm is tapped. This control ends as soon as the Helm is untapped; it does not create a triggered ability that uses the stack. Because of this, you cannot do what you want with the Helm.
Q: In a group game, does Predatory Focus's effect apply to all defending players? It doesn't require a target, so I'm hoping it allows for a big strike against multiple opponents.
A: Yes. In a multi-player game where you are allowed to attack multiple players at once, if you have resolved Predatory Focus and chosen to have attacking creatures deal damage to the defending player, then all of these attacking creatures will deal their combat damage to their respective defending players.
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