Rules Tip of the Day: When a card goes from one zone to another, it is treated as an entirely new object. Effects that look for this card will only be able to find it if it has remained in that zone.

Q: If Vesuva copies one of the storage lands in Time Spiral, will it start with the same number of storage counters as the land being copied?

A: With the exception of always coming into play tapped, Vesuva will come into play exactly as the original did. This means that it will not have any counters on it, if even if the original has storage counters on it.

Q: If my creature with Flanking attacks and a 1/1 blocks, would Flanking kill the blocker and let my damage go unblocked?

A: The Flanking ability will cause this blocking creature to go to the graveyard, but your attacking creature is still blocked. It will not deal its combat damage to the defending player, as it is a blocked creature.

Q: I have a Beloved Chaplain, and my opponent has a Benalish Cavalry. He attacks, and I block. Will Flanking kill my pro-creatures Chaplain?

A: Yes. The Flaking ability does not target or deal damage. It will lower the power and toughness of a creature, even with an applicable protection ability.

Q: I have Stuffy Doll, enchanted with Guilty Conscience. I tap Stuffy Doll to get the damage combo going. I have been advised that even though the combo loops, it will end when targeted player reaches zero life. Is this correct? My opponent responds with Angel's Grace, then says I lose because Stuffy Doll is in an infinite loop. I argue that since, in my opinion, Angel's Grace resets his zero life point to one, that the combo would stop there. Who's right?

A: First of all, you are correct that Guilty Conscience and Stuffy Doll does create a loop, but one that eventually ends when the player chosen when Stuffy Doll entered play receives enough damage to lose the game. However, Angel's Grace prevents this player from losing the game this turn. This game would be a draw, as there is a loop that neither player can break.

Q: I have two Suspended Lotus Blooms that each have one time counter on them. I play Doomsday. Are the Lotum Blooms considered to already be removed, and will they come into play next turn?

A: Yes. The Suspend ability of these Lotus Blooms will work as normal and you will be able to play them when you remove the last time counters from them. The fact that Doomsday removed most of the cards that you own from the game does not change this.

Q: I have a combo in my deck that produces "infinite" mana by using Mindlash Sliver, Basal Sliver, Haakon, Stromgald Scourge, and two copies of Conspiracy, naming Knights and Slivers. I sacrifice the Mindlash to make BB and then play a Mindlash using B. Rinse and repeat. Do I need a Conspiracy naming Knights to make it work? Or does Conspiracy erase the original type of Sliver, making them lose their abilities?

A: This combo does not work. The last Conspiracy played will overwrite the creature types of creatures you control. If you chose Knight when the last Conspiracy entered play then your Slivers do not have any of the Sliver abilities.

Q: Would a Snow-Covered Island be counted by a Spire Golem and its Affinity for Islands?

A: Yes, Affinity for Islands counts the number of lands you control with the subtype of Island—not lands with the name Island. Snow-covered Islands have the same subtype as regular Islands, so they will be counted.

Q: My friend plays Szadek, Lord of Secrets and has ten counters on it. He attacks me and I play Chant of Vitu-Ghazi. Do I have to discard my deck or do I gain 15 life?

A: It is up to you. Both Szadek's ability and Chant of Vitu-Ghazi create replacement effects; as the affected player, you can choose which effect will be applied first. Once one is applied, then there is nothing else for the other to be applied to.

Q: I play Spellbinder and Imprint Brainstorm. I equip Spellbinder to a creature, which then attacks and deals combat damage to the other player. Spellbinder triggers and I copy the imprinted Brainstorm because I may. It then says if I do, I may play it without paying its mana cost. I don't play it without paying its mana cost. What happens to the copied spell?

A: It ceases to exist. Copies of cards in any zone other than in play or on the stack cease to exist when state-based effects are checked. This state-based effect was added a few years ago to deal with copies of cards.