Rules Tip of the Day: Effects that prevents spells from being played (like Meddling Mage or Orim's Chant) do not function like counterspells. Once a spell has been played, putting a Mage into play or playing Orim's Chant will not affect that spell.

Q: If I have Enchanted Eve and Aura of Silence in play, does my opponent have to pay for his land?

A: No, Enchanted Eve only affects permanents in play. It will not change what it costs to play any card that is not an enchantment in a player's hand.

Q: I have a Thorntooth Witch in play, and my opponent has one creature. Can I cast Crib Swap on the creature, but stack the Thorntooth Witch's ability so that the +3/-3 can affect the token?

A: No, the Witch's ability will trigger when you play Crib Swap and go on the stack on top of the Crib Swap spell. You need to choose a target for this ability when it goes on the stack, and there will not be a Changeling token to target at this point. Then the Witch's ability will resolve before Crib Swap does.

Q: I am thinking of putting Door of Destinies in a deck with Ambush Commander. When I put a Forest into play and it becomes an Elf creature, will the Door get a charge counter on it?

A: No, as you did not play an Elf spell. Door of Destiny's ability only triggers when you play a spell of the chosen type, not when a creature of the chosen type enters play.

Q: If I have turned Mutavault into a creature, and then play a creature with champion and remove the Mutavault from the game, will Mutavault return to play if the creature with champion is destroyed, or will it be stuck in the RFG zone?

A: Yes. The champion leaves-play ability will return the removed card, regardless of whether or not the removed card has the appropriate creature subtype. All that mattered was that it was removed from the game when the champion ability resolved.

Q: When Springjack Knight's triggered ability is stacked, should the target be chosen before the players clash?

A: Yes, you choose a target when the ability goes on the stack. Clashing is part of resolving the ability.

Q: I Lignify one of my opponent's creatures. I then play Dauntless Dourbark. Do I count the Lignify I played?

A: Yes. The Lignify itself, and not the creature it is enchanted to, is a Treefolk that you control and it will be counted by your Dountless Dourbark's ability.

Q: Can I use Imp's Mischief to change the target of a destroy mode Blue Elemental Blast or Red Elemental Blast, so it targets an illegal target and fizzles?

A: No, Imp's Mischief and other similar effects that allow you to change the target of a spell do not allow you to change he mode of a spell.

Q: If I play Hellhole Rats, and my opponent chooses to discard Dead / Gone, what is its converted mana cost?

A: The converted mana cost of Dead / Gone is one and three. When an effect asks what the converted mana cost of a card is and then uses that number, it uses both numbers given. This means that your opponent will receive one and three points of damage, for a total of four points of damage.

Q: I have Djinn Illuminatus in play and seven mana, and I play Burnt Offering. Can I sacrifice the Djinn and still replicate, for a total of 49 mana?

A: Yes, that works. When you play Burnt Offering, you can choose to pay the replicate cost given to it by Djinn Illuminatus. Later in the announcement process, when you pay the costs of this spell, you can sacrifice the Djinn as an additional cost. The fact that the Djinn leaves play during the announcement will not retroactively prevent you from choosing to pay the replicate cost.

Q: I have Frogmite equipped with Cranial Plating, along with some other artifacts. The creature is 12/2. I announce Fling, targeting my opponent and sacrificing the Frogmite. After announcing Fling, I produce red mana from Chromatic Star, sacrificing it. While Fling is on the stack, my opponent destroys one of my other artifact creatures. How much damage will be dealt to my opponent?

A: Eleven. When you play a spell or ability, you generate all mana before you pay any costs. If you use Chromatic Star's ability to generate red mana, it will not be in play when you sacrifice the Frogmite. This means that the Frogmite will have a power of 11 when it leaves play. Fling uses the last-known information about the sacrificed creature, so it will deal 11 points of damage. The fact that another artifact you control is destroyed after you sacrifice the Frogmite does not matter.