Rules Tip of the Day: Counters have specific names given by the effect that creates them; differently named counters are not interchangeable. Effects that refer to a specific counter type will only affect counters with that name.

Q: I have a Stormscape Familiar in play and play a Slaughter Pact. When Slaughter Pact's "pay or lose" ability resolves, does Stormscape Familiar lower this cost?

A: No. Paying the cost associated with a Pact's delayed triggered ability is not the play cost for the Pact spell. Technically speaking, the ability from Stormscape Familiar was applied when you played the Pact, but the effect had no real result. When Slaughter Pact's trigger resolves, you will have to pay 2B or lose the game.

Q: My opponent has a Yixlid Jailer in play. I want to kill it with a Death Rattle, removing a few cards from my graveyard to lower the cost. My opponent says that I can't do that because of his Jailer. Is he correct?

A: No. Removing cards in your graveyard to lower the cost of a Delve spell does not involve abilities of those cards in any way. You can lower the cost by doing this even though Yixlid Jailer is in play.

Q: My friend and I were playing the other day and he Pithing Needled my Grinning Ignus. However, I said I could still use its ability, because its a mana ablity. Am I correct or does this shut Ignus down?

A: You are correct that Grinning Ignus' ability is a mana ability. You can tell as it is an activated ability that adds mana to your mana pool. It does not matter that you return the Ignus to your hand as part of the activation cost or that you can only play the ability when you can play a sorcery. Those two aspects make it an odd mana ability, but it is still a mana ability. Because of this the effect of Pithing Needle cannot prevent it from being played.

Q: I have an opponent with Chronozoa in play. I Confiscate her Chronozoa, and during the time Chronozoa is in my possession, the Vanishing counters run out. At this point, we have a dispute. I claim that since I was in possession of Chronozoa, I should get the two copies of it. She, on the other had, says that the Chronozoa hits her graveyard, so she gets them.

A: You are correct. You controlled the Chronozoa when it left play, so you will control its leaves-play triggered ability. It does not matter that the card will end up in your opponent's graveyard, you will get the Chronozoa token copies.

Q: Let's say I have three Sedge Slivers in play. Will all the Slivers get +3/+3?

A: Yes. Each Sedge Sliver in play will give Slivers in play an ability that reads "This creatures gets +1/+1 as long as you control a Swamp." The effects from these abilities will be applied individually

Q: My opponent has King Darien and Essence Warden in play. He thinks that he's invincible, but what happens if he is dealt enough combat damage to have his life total go to zero? Will he lose the game before he can gain the life back?

A: Yes. Both Darien's and Essence Warden's abilities are triggered abilities that use the stack. If this player were to receive enough damage at one time to lower his life total to zero then he will lose the game before he will get the soldier tokens or gain life.

Q: Player A has attacked with an Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni and it is unblocked. With damage on the stack, Player B casts Grab the Reins on Ink-Eyes. From there the damage is allowed to resolve. I understand that the triggered ability will trigger but who would control the ability?

A: The current controller of Ink-Eyes will be the controller of this triggered ability. As this player is being dealt combat damage by an Ink-eye's he now controls he will be able to 'reanimate' a creature card in his own graveyard.

Q: I am Reaping the Graves with a Storm count of two and one Gempalm Polluter in the grave. Can I Cycle before the next Storm copy, then grab again and repeat? So Gempalm 3 times off 1 card in the graveyard?

A: No, that does not work. Whenever a spell or ability goes on the stack you must choose a target for the ability. When the original spell is played you will put it on the stack and choose a target for this spell. Immediately after this the Storm trigger will go on the stack. When this Storm trigger resolves the Storm copies will be put on the stack. You will choose to either have these copies to have the same target or to change their targets at this time.

Q: How does Shapeshifter's Marrow work in a Two-Headed Giant game?

A: At the beginning of the upkeep step of your opponent's turn the ability of your Shapeshifters Marrow will trigger twice, once for each of your opponents. As you are the controller of these two abilities, you can choose the order that they go on the stack. Each will resolve in turn and your opponents will reveal the top card of your library in turn. The Marrow will become a copy of any revealed card as long as it is a creature card. (And the original creature card will go to its owner's graveyard.) It is possible for the Shapeshifter Marrow to become a creature when the first of these triggered abilities resolves and then become a different creature when the second ability resolves. This is not a choice. It can become one creature that you really want, but then become a copy of another that is not so great.