Rules Tip of the Day: It is possible to counter a Counterspell with a spell that changes the target of other spells (like Misdirection, which we will use in this example, Deflection, or Shunt). You need to change the target of the Counterspell to the Misdirection. This is possible because as the Misdirection is resolving, it is still on the stack, so it is a legal target for the Counterspell. Then when the Counterspell starts to resolve, it will see that it's target is no longer legal—it has left the stack—so the Counterspell is countered on resolution.

Q: I was playing a Rakdos deck against my friend's UGW deck. I got him to four life. He played Loxodon Hierarch. The Loxodon came into play. If I cast Hit (from Hit / Run) while the life-gaining ability of the Hierarch was on the stack, would I have won the game?

A: Assuming that he sacrificed the Heirarch, then yes, he would have lost the game. This is because he would have taken four points of damage when Hit resolved. Immediately after that, state-based effects would be checked, and he would lose the game. This would all happen before the Hierarch's triggered ability could resolve and raise his life total.

Q: If more than lethal damage is done to a creature, does regenerating it wipe out the remaining damage? For example: I have a Masticore, and my opponent deals five damage to it. I regenerate it. After the regeneration resolves, he then deals three damage to it with a Lightning Bolt. Does this kill it, or does it need to take the full four damage again?

A: When a permanent regenerates, all damage that was dealt to it is erased. In order for this Masticore to be destroyed by lethal damage again, it would have to be dealt four points of damage.

Q: Player A declares an attack on Player B with Ink-Eyes, Servant of the Oni and a Streetbreaker Wurm. Player B controls an untapped Keiga, the Tide Star which he uses to block the Streetbreaker Wurm. Combat damage is assigned, and resolves. Keiga and the Streetbreaker Wurm receive lethal damage and head to the graveyard. If Keiga's triggered ability targets Ink-eyes, what happens when the Ink-Eyes switches controllers? Assuming there is a legal creature to target in the graveyard for Ink-Eyes's ability, who gets control of the reanimated creature?

A: First of all, there will be at least one legal target for Ink-Eye's triggered ability: the Keiga that just went to the graveyard. And the controller of the Ink-Eyes at the time the triggered ability went on the stack is the controller of the ability, so Player A will gain control of the reanimated creature.

Q: Do you need to choose a source of damage when you play Prahv, Spires of Order's ability? If you play the ability without a source, can it do something if a source deals damage later in the turn?

A: You don't choose a source when you play the ability; however, you do choose one when the ability resolves. If, when the ability resolves, there is no source to choose (which is highly unlikely) then the ability will fail to do anything. You cannot activate this ability at the start of a turn and then choose the source you wish to prevent later in the turn.

Q: My Primordial Sage has damage on it. My opponent plays Crypt Champion. He chooses to bring an Orzhov Euthanist back into play, and I choose a Plaxmanta. When the creatures come into play, does the Euthanist kill the Sage?

A: No. When the Crypt Champion's first coming into play triggered ability resolves both of these creatures will be returned to play and their abilities will trigger. When multiple abilities trigger at the same time, they go on the stack in APNAP (Active Player, Non-Active Player) order. This means that those controlled by the active player go on the stack first, followed by those controlled by the non-active player. Then the ability of Plaxmanta, then, will resolve first, and make creatures you control untargetable. This will cause the comes-into-play ability of the Euthanist to become countered on resolution.

Q: If Pithing Needle were played and Boseiju, Who Shelters All was the named card, how would they interact, since Boseiju's ability is a mana ability?

A: There really is no interaction as, Pithing Needle's ability states that it does not prevent mana abilities from being used. The controller of the Boseiju can still use Boseiju's mana ability. If this Boseiju were to gain other, non-mana abilities, players could not use them.

Q: How does Ebony-Owl Netsuke work in Two-Headed Giant? Does it trigger once if the combined number of cards in my opponents' hands are more than seven, or can it trigger once for each player.

A: The ability of Ebony-Owl Netsuke can trigger more than once at the beginning of your opponents' upkeep. Treat each opponent separately in determining if the Owl triggers for that opponent.