Rules Tip of the Day: It is possible to play spells and abilities in the cleanup step, under certain unusual circumstances. The two situations when this is possible are when a state-based effect does something in the cleanup step, or when a triggered ability is waiting to go on the stack at this point.
Q: If my opponent has Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir in play, and I play Lightning Axe to kill it, can I discard a Madness card such as Reckless Wurm to pay the cost and then play it using its Madness ability?
A: No. When you discard a card with Madness to pay a cost while playing a spell or ability, the Madness triggered ability will go on the stack on top of the played spell or ability. This Madness triggered ability will resolve first, before the spell or ability. However, as Teferi will not be destroyed until the original played spell or ability resolves, you will be prohibited from playing the Madness spell.
Q: I've got Saffi Eriksdotter and a Thornscape Battlemage in play. My opponent plays a Damnation. In response, I sacrifice Saffi, targeting the Battlemage. When he comes back to play, can I pay Kicker cost again?
A: No. When the delayed triggered ability created by Saffi's ability resolves, the targeted creature card will be returned to play. This creature is simply put into play by Saffi's ability. You can only pay additional costs associated with playing a spell when you actually play the spell, not when you put a card into play. This means that you will not be able to pay either of the Kicker costs associated with this Battlemage.
Q: If I use Jhoira of the Ghitu's ability on a Deep-Sea Kraken, will it keep the "whenever an opponent plays a spell, remove a time counter" ability?
A: Yes. Deep-Sea Kraken's triggered ability that causes it to lose time counters will trigger regardless of what caused it to become Suspended. All that matters is that it is Suspended.
Q: If a creature has protection from black, and I sacrifice a Festering Goblin, can I give that creature -1/-1 using Festering Goblins ability?
A: No, the source of that ability was the Goblin when it was last in play. It was a black permanent when it left play, so you cannot target a creature with protection from black with that ability.
Q: If I have Spellshock in play and I Suspend Errant Ephemeron, would I take damage as I Suspend it; when the last counter is removed and I play it; or would I not take damage from Spellshock at all?
A: You will take two points of damage when you eventually play the Ephemeron. Suspending a card is a special action; it is not playing a spell. But when the last time counter is removed from a Suspended card you play it, so Spellshock's ability will trigger.
Q: I have Jhoira of the Ghitu on the board, and I play Eternal Dominion. After that, I Suspend a card using Jhoira's ability. When the last time counter is removed, will it count as me playing a spell, or is it covered under putting a card into play as a result of a card's effect?
A: When a Suspended card loses its last time counter, you play it. But due to the Epic effect you will not be able to play any spells, so this Suspended card will remain removed from the game. In other words, Jhoira's ability does not get around the Epic effect.
Q: I have Conspiracy, naming "Sliver", and Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder in play. I play Myr Enforcer. Will I sacrifice Endrek Sahr, because of the tokens, or does Conspiracy keep his second effect from triggering?
A: You won't have to sacrifice your Endrek Sahr. Conspiracy will make all creatures you control into Slivers. The tokens put into play by Endrek Sahr's ability will be Slivers, not Thulls. Because of this, Endrek Sahr's ability will not trigger while you control this Conspiracy.
Q: If a Golgari Thug is put into a graveyard, can it target itself?
A: Yes. In fact, if it is the only creature card in your graveyard, you must target it.
Q: I Imprint Gigadrowse on Isochron Scepter. When I activate Isochron Scepter, can I Replicate Gigadrowse?
A: Yes, that does work. You can pay the Replicate cost any time you play a spell with Replicate. Isochron Scepter's ability allows you to play a copy of the Imprinted card, so you can choose to pay additional costs associated with that spell. This works if the Imprinted card has Replicate or if you also control a Djinn Illuminatus.
Q: My opponent controls a 4/4 creature, and I play Hidden Predators, is there any time Hidden Predators is an enchantment that my opponent could Naturalize it before it becomes a creature, or is Hidden Predator's ability some kind of state-based effect that no opponent could respond to?
A: Hidden Predators will enter play as an enchantment and immediately after this happens, its ability will trigger and go on the stack. This ability is a state-triggered ability, but it will still use the stack. Wth this trigger on the stack, your opponent can play Naturalize to destroy it before it becomes a creature.
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