Just like every other set, Champions of Kamigawa brings numerous new rules questions to the judges of the world. Whether it's altering old rules like the legend rule or new mechanics like splice, there are always people asking questions, and there are always people like me looking to answer them. This article is designed to try to answer some of the more common questions that have come up. As usual, I'd like to point out the Comp Rules, Gatherer, and the Champions of Kamigawa FAQ as additional sources of information.

General Notes
The Legendary Rule
The most noticeable change is probably the Legend/Legendary rule. Originally, if you had a Legend in play and a second copy came into play, the newer one would die. Now, instead of just the second one dying, both of them will go to the graveyard. Also note that Legend is no longer a creature type: all creatures that had the Legend creature type are now Legendary Creatures (Legendary is a supertype and cannot be removed). This does leave some creatures in the past without creature types. Also, since they're put into the graveyard, not destroyed, being indestructible won't save them. Finally, remember that playing a land doesn't use the stack, so if you have a copy of a Legendary land in play and your opponent plays a second copy, you won't get a chance to tap yours for mana or use its ability before it goes to the graveyard because of the Legendary rule.

Bushido
Bushido is a triggered ability that triggers when a creature with Bushido blocks or becomes blocked. Multiple instances trigger separately, so if a creature had two instances of Bushido 1, it would get a +2/+2 bonus. It also doesn't care how many creatures are blocking it. If a creature with Bushido 1 is blocked by three creatures, it will only get +1/+1, not +3/+3.

Defender
The other major rule change that came with Champions is the Wall rule. Now the creature type wall has no special abilities built in. All creatures that were walls now have the ability Defender, which means that creature can't attack (also, notice that since Legend is no longer a creature type and walls have Defender now, no creature types have any special abilities built into them anymore).

Flip Cards
Probably one of the most interesting cycles in the set, the flip cards will (ironically) flip over to a more powerful side when certain conditions are met (some are triggered abilities, and some are checked during the resolution of the activated ability). The only time it is considered Legendary is if it is in play and flipped: otherwise it is not considered legendary (so you cannot search for a flip card with Time of Need). When the creature flips, it is still considered the same creature, so any counters, enchantments, equipment, etc. will remain on the creature.

Myojin
These creatures only get the devotion counter if you play them from your hand. Putting them into play (like via a Zombify or Tooth and Nail) will not put a counter on them, since they're being put into play, not played.

Soulshift
This is a triggered ability that uses the stack. If two or more spirits (one with, say, Soulshift 4 and the other a Spirit with a converted mana cost of 4) die at the same time (like a Wrath of God), you can return the second one, since the soulshift ability won't go on the stack until the Wrath is completely done resolving.

Splice
Champions also introduced a subtype to instants and sorceries called Arcane. When you play a spell with Arcane, if you have a spell with Splice onto Arcane on it, you can pay the splice cost and add that card's text to the arcane spell. For instance, let's say you have a Hideous Laughter and a Glacial Ray in your hand. When you play the Laughter, you can reveal the Ray, pay the splice cost, and add the Ray's text to the Laughter, so you'll end up giving everything -2/-2 and dealing two damage to a target creature or player. You cannot splice the same spell onto an Arcane spell repeatedly, so in this example, you could only splice the Ray onto the Laughter once (of course, if you have two Rays in hand, you can reveal them both). Since the text is added onto the spell, the damage in this case will be considered to be coming from a Black source, not a Red source.

If all of the targets become illegal when the spell goes to resolve, the entire spell is countered. So let's say you splice the Ray onto the Laughter and target my random 2/2. In response, I kill my 2/2. Now when the Laughter goes to resolve, it will be countered, since all of its targets are illegal (this works both ways, so the same thing would happen if you played the Ray and spliced the Laughter onto it). The spell will resolve in order that they're spliced on, so if you splice a Blessed Breath and a Glacial Ray onto the Laughter, all creatures will get -2/-2, then the targeted creature will get protection from the color of your choice, then you'll deal 2 damage to target creature or player.

Vigilance
They finally keyworded "Doesn't tap to attack". Good for them.

Zubera
The number of Zuberas that have gone to the graveyard is counted when the triggered ability resolves, not when it goes on the stack. So if there are three Zuberas in play and someone plays a Wrath of God, you'll get three of each of their effects, because when each trigger resolves, it will see three Zuberas (it counts itself) have gone to the graveyard. You can get a similar effect if you were to sac one to a Nantuko Husk, then respond to the Zubera's triggered ability by sacing another Zubera. They will also count any Zubera that has gone to the graveyard, not just the ones you control.

Card Specific Notes
Azami, Lady of Scrolls
Since her ability doesn't use the tap symbol, you can use it as soon as she comes into play.

Boseiju, Who Shelters All
Although the spell can't be countered by spells or abilities, it can still be countered by the rules of the game. You can use the mana to play other spells, but it will only gain the uncounterable ability if the mana is used on an instant or sorcery.

Brothers Yamazaki
You ignore the Legendary rule if there are two in play. However, if a third one comes into play, then the Legendary rule will take effect and all three of them will go to the graveyard.

Budoka Gardener
It won't automatically flip if you have 10 lands. The check isn't made until the activated ability resolves. You don't even have to put a land into play, just activate the ability and when it resolves, it will check the number of lands you control, regardless if you put one into play or not.

Cage of Hands
Only the controller of the card can return it to its owner's hand. For instance, if Player A plays it on Player B's creature, only Player A can activate the ability and return it to their hand. And you can only activate the ability if it's in play, not in any other zone.

Candles' Glow
The life is gained as the damage is prevented. So if you're at one and if I attack with a 6/6, if you play a Candles' Glow, you'll survive (three damage will be prevented, you'll gain three life, then lose three from the remaining damage).

Cranial Extraction
Just like with Persecute. you don't name a card until the Extraction resolves, not when you put it on the stack. So you're not in trouble should the Extraction get Misdirected back at you.

Crushing Pain
You can't play this unless the targeted creature has received damage that turn when you play the Pain.

Desperate Ritual
You don't get the mana until the Ritual resolves, so you can't use the mana from the Ritual to splice any spells onto itself.

Devouring Greed
Since the Spirits are sacrificed as part of the cost of playing the Greed, your opponent can't respond to the Greed by killing any of the spirits.

Dosan the Falling Leaf
Dosan only prevents players from playing spells. It does not prevent players from playing abilities.

Ethereal Haze
This not only prevents combat damage from creatures, it also prevents damage that would be dealt by creature's abilities too.

Gifts Ungiven
You can search for less than four cards. If you search for two or less, all of them will go to the graveyard. If you search for three, you'll get one of them in your hand.

Glimpse of Nature
If you play multiple Glimpses in a turn, they are cumulative, so playing two of them and a creature will let you draw two cards. A creature is considered played when all costs are paid and is put on the stack, so you'll still draw a card even if the creature is countered.

Initiate of Blood/Goka the Unjust
You can't target the creature unless it's been damaged that turn. You can't use the ability if the creature is about to receive damage, so if you Shock a 2/2, you won't get a chance to use the ability before the creature dies.

Horobi, Death's Wail
A spell or ability only targets if it uses the word target. The exception is local enchantments on the stack. The Horobi's triggered ability will always resolve before the spell or ability, so if the creature was the only target of the spell or ability, it will be countered when it goes to resolve.

Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
The copy put into play will trigger any coming into play abilities the creature has. If you play Kiki's ability during the end of turn step, since all "At end of turn" triggers have gone on the stack, the token will remain in play until the next end of turn step.

Konda's Banner
The maximum bonus the Banner can give to each creature is +2/+2. It doesn't matter how many colors or creature types the creatures share. As long as the equipped creature has a color and a creature type, it will give the bonus to itself, since it can share a color and a creature type with itself.

Mana Seism
You don't sacrifice the lands until the Seism resolves, so if it's countered, you won't lose any land.

Marrow-Gnawer
The number of Rats is counted when the ability resolves, so it will not count the sacrificed Rat towards the number of Rats put into play.

Masako the Humorless
This lets you block with your tapped creatures. It doesn't let you block a creature that can't normally block, so a creature that can't block still won't be able to block with the Humorless in play.

Moonring Mirror
This doesn't replace your draw at all, so when you draw a card, the Mirror will trigger and the top card will be removed when the trigger resolves. If an effect has you draw multiple cards, you'll draw all of those cards before the Mirror's ability goes on the stack. So if you play an Inspiration, you'll draw two cards, and then remove the top two cards.

Myojin of Life's Web
Note that you're putting the creatures into play, not playing them, if you use its ability, so if you put another Myojin into play, it will not get a divinity counter.

Nezumi Graverobber
You must activate the ability and the ability must remove the final card in their graveyard from the game in order to flip it. It doesn't automatically flip if they have no cards in their graveyard, and if the final card is removed before the Graverobber's ability resolves, then it is countered and won't be flipped either.

Nezumi Shortfang
You can use his ability even if they have no cards in their hand. In that case, they won't discard anything, but the flip check will still be made.

Night of Souls' Betrayal
If you play a second copy, all creatures will briefly get -2/-2 before they leave play, and therefore any creatures with a toughness of two (before applying the Betrayals) will die at the same time the Betrayals go to the graveyard.

Oni Possession
I wouldn't play this on an opponent's creature. You are still the controller of the enchantment, even if it's on an opponent's creature, so you'll be the one sacrificing the creatures, not your opponent.

Orochi Hatchery
Both Xs in the casting cost must be equal. If you want to be able to make four tokens each time, then you need to pay {4}{4}, or {8} mana total.

Otherworldly Journey
Since the creature is removed from the game, any enchantments on that creature will go to the graveyard and all equipment will unattach themselves from the creature. It will come back to play as an entirely new creature with an additional +1/+1 counter, not remembering anything about its past.

Reverse the Sands
This just lets you change the life totals of players. You can't split up the life totals. So if Player A has 20 life and Player B has 5, you can make it so Player A has 5 life and Player B has 20 life, but not Player A with 1 and Player B with 24.

Reweave
If the permanent has multiple types, you reveal until you reveal a card with one of those types. For instance, if you Reweave an animated Blinkmoth Nexus, you reveal cards until you reveal an artifact, a land, or a creature.

Samurai of the Pale Curtain
The Samurai has a replacement effect. A permanent that goes to the graveyard is removed from the game instead. The permanent never goes to the graveyard, so leave play abilities (like modular) won't trigger. If the Samurai dies, it will remove itself from the game.

Sensei Golden-Tail
If you use the ability multiple times on the same creature, it will have multiple copies of Bushido and each will trigger when it blocks or becomes blocked.

Sensei's Divining Top
You can activate the first ability (looking at the top 3 cards), then in response use its second ability (to draw a card and put the Top on top of your library). You'll draw a card, put the Top on your library, and then look at the top 3 cards and rearrange them if you like.

Shell of the Last Kappa
The first ability can only target a spell that targets you. That ability also doesn't actually counter anything, just removes it from the stack, so it can get around uncounterable spells. If you choose to activate its second ability and play a spell with X in the cost, X will always be equal to 0.

Shimatsu the Bloodcloaked
This has a replacement ability. Therefore, as soon as it resolves and comes into play, you choose what to sacrifice. This cannot be responded to.

Sift Through Sands
In order to search for The Unspeakable, this one must be the last one to play (the other two don't matter). This is also the only one that needs to resolve, since the Sift just looks to make sure the other two were played, not that they resolved.

Tide of War
This will only trigger if a blocker was declared. If none of the attacking creatures are blocked, then the Tide won't trigger. If the blocking creatures are sacrificed, the attacking creatures that were blocked before are still considered blocked (and won't deal any damage unless they have trample).

Time Stop
During resolution, it will remove itself from the game. This will stop every other spell or ability on the stack from resolving, since they are also removed from the game. You skip right to the cleanup step from the current step or phase. If played before the end of turn step, all "at end of turn" triggers will wait for the next end of turn step to trigger.

Uba Mask
If you choose not to play the removed card that turn, then you've lost the opportunity to play that card ever. If you don't play the removed card, it will remain removed from the game.

Uyo, Silent Prophet
This makes an exact copy of the spell. If the spell had an X in the cost, X will be the same in the copy. The copy is put on the stack, not played, so nothing that triggers on a spell being played will trigger.

Wicked Akuba
You can use this ability as many times as you can pay all the costs. You can't use the ability unless the targeted player has been damaged by the Akuba that turn (so if the damage is prevented, you can't use the ability).

Nathan Long
DCI Level 1 Judge
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