Rules Tip of the Day: When sideboarding in a constructed event, you must remove a card from your deck for every card that you put in. Therefore, if you use a sideboard, it will always start the game with 15 cards in it.

Q: I cast Evangelize and choose an opponent. The only creature he has is a Flickering Spirit. He insisted that after targeting the Spirit, he could activate its ability, and when it returned to play, I would not gain control of it, because it is a "new creature" and not the one he originally chose. My reasoning was that once he targeted the creature, he would not have an opportunity to Flicker the Spirit out, in a similar way to the way it is too late to respond to Persecute once a color has been chosen. Who is correct here?

A: Your opponent is correct. All targets of a spell or ability are chosen when the spell or ability is played. It does not matter that your opponent chooses the target. After Evangelize is played, each players will receive priority to play spells and abilities. It is at this point that your opponent can use the ability of Flickering Spirit to remove it from play and immediately return it to play. When this happens, it will be a new creature, not the same one that was targeted by Evangelize. This will cause Evangelize to become countered on resolution. This means that it will go to the graveyard even if the Buyback cost was paid.

Q: Stalking Vengeance, Essence Sliver, and are other Slivers are in play. When the three other Slivers go to the graveyard and Stalking Vengeance's ability triggers, would Essence Sliver's ability also trigger?

A: Sort of. Essence Sliver's ability will trigger, but not until Stalking Vengeance's ability resolves. Every time Stalking Vengeance's ability resolves, last known information about the creature that triggered this ability will be checked. The creature is the source of damage. When these creatures left play they were Slivers, so Essence Sliver's ability will trigger.

Q: I have a True Believer out in play and my opponent plays four Bogardan Hellkites with a Dragonstorm. My question is this: when he searches his library and brings into play all four Dragons at the same time, will I take any damage?

A: Yes, you can be dealt damage. Each of these copies of Dragonstorm will actually resolve one at a time. When the first one resolves, a Bogardan Hellkite will be put into play and its ability will go on the stack, on top of the other Dragonstorm copies on the stack. When this ability goes on the stack, your opponent must choose targets, and how this damage will be divided. So you won't receive any damage from the first Hellkite. Assuming that your opponent deals lethal damage to the True Believer with this first triggered ability, then when the subsequent Bogardan Hellkites come into play, you can be targeted as True Believer will not be in play.

Q: If I have one creature in play and my opponent plays Smallpox, can I play Momentary Blink and return the creature to play after Smallpox resolves?

A: No. Momentary Blink removes the targeted creature from play and then immediately returns it to play as Momentary Blink resolves. While the creature that is returned to play is not the same creature, you will still have to sacrifice a creature when Smallpox resolves.

Q: My friends and I have been talking a lot about Trickbind, and its immense capabilities. There's one situation we've thought of that we can't quite wrap our heads around: what if we use Trickbind to counter the last activation of several by the same source? Of course, Trickbind would counter the targeted ability, but would all the others on the stack be denied because "activated abilities of that permanent can't be played this turn"?

A: No, to play a spell or ability means to announce it, make the necessary choices, and pay for it. These activated abilities have been played, Trickbind's effect will not affect them at all.

Q: I am wondering how Celestial Convergence and Angel's Grace work together. My assumption is that I would not lose the game this turn if I had lower life, but I am wondering when the game checks for the loss? And what happens if we have the same life total?

A: Celestial Convergence has a triggered ability that triggers at the beginning of each upkeep when it is in play. When this ability resolves you remove an omen counter form Celestial Convergence, if possible, and if there are no omen counters on Celestial Convergence the player with the highest life total will win the game at this point. If two of more players are tied with the highest total, the game is a draw.

If, before Celestial Convergence's triggered ability resolves, you played and resolved Angel's Grace, then no other player other than you will be able to win the game. If two of more players are tied with the highest life total, then the game will end in a draw, as the effect from Angel's Grace does not prevent a game from ending in this way.

Keep in mind that even though Angel's Grace prevents an opponent from winning at the beginning of this turn, the ability of Celestial Convergence will trigger again at the beginning of the next upkeep of Celestial Convergence's controller. It will not have any omen counters on it as at this point, but that will not prevent its ability from triggering or resolving. So unless you have another Angel's Grace, or now have the higher life total, your opponent will win the game.

Q: If I play with Pull from Eternity can I play with my sideboard face up and target cards in my sideboard?

A: No, cards in your sideboard are not in the removed from game zone. They are outside of the game, which is different from being in the removed from game zone.

Q: Can I use Pillar of the Paruns to help cast cards like Fire / Ice?

A: No, when on the stack each of the original split cards are spells of just one color.

Q: Does Warped Devotion trigger when a card removed by a Mesmeric Fiend returns to its owner's hand? Is a removed card a permanent?

A: No. When Mesmeric Fiend's leaves-play triggered ability resolves, you return the card that was removed from the targeted players hand back to his hand. This card is not a permanent, as it is not in play. Warped Devotion's ability will not trigger.