Q: I have a question about Living Death; say I have four Laquatus's Champions in the graveyard, and my opponent has a Deranged Hermit in his graveyard and a Goblin Bombardment in play. I am at five life, and he is at ten life; he also has.

I cast Living Death, and out come the Champions, causing him to lose twenty-four life - and out comes his Deranged Hermit with his four squirrel tokens.

My question: Can he use the Goblin Bombardment to sacrifice his creatures to kill me before he loses the life? This has been an ongoing argument, and I'd really love to have an answer to this one.

Thanks for your time,
Terry

Q: Terry Living Death resolves, putting 4 Champions and 1 Hermit into play, all of which have triggered abilities. When multiple abilities trigger simultaneously, the active player stacks all his, then the non-active player stacks his (rule 410.3). This means the four Champions go on the stack and then the Hermit. Remember, whenever something resolves from the stack, players get back priority. The four squirrels come into play, and then your opponent can sacrifice them all and the Hermit to the Goblin Bombardment. Those activations will resolve, and you'll die of a State-Based Effect before your Champions' abilities have the chance to resolve.

- Sheldon

Q: Let's say I have Ashnod's Altar, a Fecundity, and a Words of Wilding. My question is, do I have the mana in time to activate the Words before the effect from the fecundity resolves?

Thanks in advance,
Jeremy King

A: Jeremy,

Yes. Ashnod's Altar is a permanent that generates mana, so it's a mana ability (rule 406.1), which means it doesn't use the stack (408.2). The Fecundity triggers when the creature is sacrificed and goes on the stack after the mana ability resolves. After it does, you can activate the Words with some or all of the mana that you've gotten from the Altar. It will replace the Fecundity draw.

- Sheldon

Q: If I copy a Smother with Mirari, does it have to target the same creature as the original, due to rule 503.10? Was this always the case?

A: Mirari specifically says that you can choose another target for the copy - so no, you don't have to target the same creature.

Q: My question is very simple. I put a Dwarven Bloodboiler in play, and I want to tap it to activate the Bloodboiler's ability the same turn it came into play. Can I do this? And can I tap any other"sick" dwarf to activate the Bloodboiler's ability?

A: You may. The Bloodboiler's ability doesn't include the tap symbol, so you may activate it the turn the Bloodboiler comes into play using the Bloodboiler itself or any other Dwarf (rule 409.3).

Q: My instincts tell me that you cannot Mirari an effect that you get from cycling card - like the lifegain portion of Renewed Faith. But you could Mirari it if you played it as a spell. Am I correct?

Thanks,
Normand Houle

A: Salut, Normand,

Your instincts are right. Cycling is an activated ability, not a spell, so it can't be copied by Mirari. Sheldon

Q: How much mana will a land enchanted with Fertile Ground produce if a Mirari's Wake is in play?

A: The Wake and the Fertile Ground are mana triggered abilities. You tap the land and both trigger, giving you one extra mana each.

Q: Will a Wild Growth-enchanted land do the same?

A: Yes.

Q: Does a Serra's Sanctum that produces five mana produce ten with a Mirari's Wake in play?

A: No, it produces six. Just one extra.

Q: Do my creatures get the bonus if I have an Ivory Mask or a Solitary Confinement in play along with the Mirari's Wake?

A: Yes. Those are Continuous Effects (rule 418) generated by the static ability of a permanent that doesn't target.

Q: If I had an untapped Voice of the Woods, three other untapped elves, a forest and a Wirewood Lodge, would I be able to tap the four elves, untap one of them, and tap it again to make five and put the token into play?

Thanks,
Aaron

A: Aaron,

No. When you pay the costs of activating an ability, you pay them all at once (rule 409.1f). You don't get priority to activate anything that would untap the fifth Elf until after announcement of the Voice is complete. Sheldon

Q: Thank you for answering my last inquiry with speed and agility rivaled only by a Magic player chasing the only girl in the tournament. I have a new one - and hopefully a new kill method.

I'm fairly sure you can't do this, but I thought I'd ask just in case. Is there any way you can redirect, a la Deflection or Misdirection, a Morality Shift? I know it doesn't say target on the card, but I just thought I'd make double sure. Thanks.

A: Your instincts are right. You can't Misdirect a spell that doesn't have any targets. Morality Shift directs you to do something to your graveyard and library; it's not targeted.

Q: If I were to tap my Reef Shaman to change an island into a swamp, would that land be able to tap for black mana or blue mana?

A: Black; it's a swamp. See rule 214.9e.