Rules Tip of the Day: At the beginning of the combat damage step, all creatures in combat will assign damage equal to their power to creatures blocked by or blocking them or to the defending player. Barring First Strike damage, all of this damage goes on the stack as one item and all will resolve at the same time. Once this combat damage goes on the stack, it will be dealt as assigned, even if the creature that assigned it leaves play. This means that your opponent can block with a creature and return it to his hand after combat damage has gone on the stack. The damage from this creature will be dealt, even though it is not in play any longer.

Q: Does the ability of Amrou Kithkin work for all the new Kithkin in Lorwyn ad such? Or is it for her only?

A: The ability of Amrou Kithkin only applies to the Amrou Kithkin itself. It is not shared with other creatures in play.

Q: If I suspend Benalish Commander for one when I have a Ballyrush Bannerete in play, will I only have to pay two white mana, since the Commander is a Soldier, or does suspend not count as a played spell?

A: The Banneret ability only lowers the cost to play an appropriate card. When you suspend a card, you are not playing it, so the Banneret ability will not affect the suspend cost at all.

Q: When my opponent plays Shriekmaw, can I use Mind Bend to save my creature? For example: changing nonblack to nonblue.

A: No, because Mind Bend can only target permanents in play. Once Shriekmaw enters play and its ability triggers, this ability will be independent of its source. Changing the text of the Shriekmaw in play will not change the text of the ability. In order to do what you want, you would need to use something like Sleight of Mind to change the text of the Shriekmaw spell on the stack. This way, when the Shreikmaw enters play, it will have the altered text.

Q: If a 3/3 creature has a +1/+1 counter on it, and I play Stream of Unconsciousness, will it become 0/4 or 1/4?

A: It will end up as a 0/4. The effects from counters are applied after the power-changing effect from Stream of Unconsciousness, but that does not negate the fact that this creature is given -4/-0. When you apply the effect from the Stream, this creature will be a -1/3 creature. Then you add the counter, and it will be a 0/4 creature. Negative numbers for power are treated as zero by the game except with respect to further raising or lowering this power.

Q: A player has an untaped Treetop Village and a Mutavault. He declares his attack step, knowing that his opponent has Cryptic Command mana open. His opponent has no responses, so they move to the declare attackers step. Can he animate the Mutavault and attack with it during his declare attackers step, without getting it tapped by a Cryptic Command?

A: No. In order for a creature to attack, it must be a creature when attackers are declared. In order for the Mutavault to attack, it must be animated before the declaration of attackers step. The last chance for this is in the beginning of combat step. So after this permanent is animated, this player's controller can tap it with Cryptic Command.

Q: Does using Seahunter's ability to put a Merfolk into play trigger Merrow Reejerey's tap-or-untap ability?

A: No. Putting a Merfolk into play is not the same as playing a Merfolk spell. To play a spell means to announce it, put it on the stack. make any necessary choices, and pay for it. In this example you played an ability, but you did not play a Merfolk spell.

Q: Does Azorious First-Wing's ability make it immune to Circle of Protection: Blue or COP: White?

A: No. The Circle of Protection ability does not target, so it can be used to prevent the damage from a creature with protection from enchantments.

Q: Can Cursed Scroll's ability target Mistmeadow Skulk?

A: Yes. The source of the ability is the Cursed Scroll itself. The converted mana cost of Cursed Scroll is one; it does not matter that it takes three mana to activate its ability.

Q: We were playing Emperor the other night, and a situation came up. One of the guards on the opposing team had a Platinum Angel in play, and we reduced his emperor to zero life. We supposed that the guard couldn't lose, because of the Angel. So does the emperor continue to play?

A: No. Platinum Angel prevents that player from losing the game and prevents any effect which would cause opponents within the range of influence to win the game. However, it does not prevent that player's emperor from losing the game. In Emperor games, what matters is when a team wins or loses. A team loses when an emperor loses the game. Platinum Angel will prevent this individual player from losing and leaving the game, but it will not prevent the team from losing the game.