Rules Tip of the Day: When resolving an Arcane spell with text Spliced onto it, you carry out the text of the original base spell first and then the Spliced text. If the text from multiple cards has been Spliced onto a single Arcane spell, then its controller can determine the order of the splice text. Keep in mind that this order is determined when the Arcane spell is played.

Q: I have Jugan, The Rising Star in play, as well as an unanimated Blinkmoth Nexus. My opponent plays Wrath of God. Is there any way for me to activate the Blinkmoth so that it can receive the counters from Jugan without the Blinkmoth also being destroyed by the Wrath? Obviously, if I activate it in response to the Wrath, the Blinkmoth will die too. But is there some time when I can activate it after the Wrath resolves but before the Jugan effect triggers?

A: No that doesn't work, because Jugan's ability triggers when it is destroyed and the ability targets. Once Jugan is destroyed and goes to the graveyard, its ability will go on the stack before you can play the animation ability of the Nexus. When this ability goes on the stack you must choose targets for it. At this point the Nexus is not a creature and can not be targeted.

Q: With Horobi, Death's Wail in play, if I play Ragged Veins on an opponent's creature, does it die (when enchanting a creature is it considered targeting even though is does not say it on the card)?

A: If Horobi is in play then the creature targeted by this local enchantment will be destroyed. But this is because local enchantments do target when played and put on the stack, which will trigger Horobi's ability If this creature and enchantment were in play first and then Horobi came into play, then this enchanted creature would not be destroyed as local enchantments do not target the permanent they are attached to when they are in play.

Q: Can I use Swallowing Plague to gain more life the targeted creature has toughness?

A: Yes. Swallowing Plague does not limit the amount of life gained to the toughness of the targeted creature.

Q: If I were to have Teller of Tales in play and was to copy it with Kiki-Jiki Mirror Breaker, would this activate the Teller of Tales' ability to tap or untap a creature?

A: No. Teller of Tales ability only triggers when a Spirit or Arcane ability is played, not when a Spirit comes into play.

Q: I have played Crushing Pain this turn. I play Sideswipe. Can I target (or re-target as it may be) to a player or must I choose a creature that the original Crushing Pain spell targets?

A: You must still choose a legal target for Crushing Pain when Sideswipe resolves. This means that you can only choose to change the target of Crushing Pain to another creature that has been dealt damage that turn. If there is not one to choose then Sideswipe will do nothing when it resolves.

Q: If my opponent played Control Magic on my Winged Sliver then on my turn I play Crystalline Sliver, do I get my Winged Sliver back?

A: No. Local enchantments in play do not target the permanents they are attached to. Because of this Control Magic will remain on this Winged Sliver.

Q: When you play Exhume do you have to return a creature to play? If I were to have Phage, the Untouchable in my graveyard and someone played Exhume would I have to choose Phage or could I choose not to find a creature even though I have one in there?

A: You are not given the option of not putting a creature card in your graveyard into play when Exhume resolves. If there is a creature card there, you must put it into play. If the only creature card in your graveyard is a Phage, you will have to put it into play.

Q: Now with the new Legendary rule how many Legendary lands such as Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale may I play?

A: You can have any number of differently named Legendary lands in play, but only one of each one. So you can only have a single copy of The Tabernacle of Pendrell Vale in play at one time. If a second were to come into play, then both will go to the graveyard.

Q: If Force Bubble absorbs more than the four damage does the extra damage flow over and hit the player or does it take it all on that turn?

A: As long as Force Bubble is in play, it will replace all damage dealt to you with counters on the Bubble. For example if you are dealt 10 damage at one time then the Bubble will get 10 counters and you will not be dealt any damage. This will cause the Force Bubble's ability to trigger and you will have to sacrifice it when this ability resolves, but you won't be dealt and damage.

Q: My opponent is at 18 life with both Serra Avatar and Greater Good in play, and 32 cards left in his library. He sacrifices the Avatar to the Greater Good to draw 18 cards. I respond to the ability by playing Beacon of Immortality targeting him, bringing his life to 36. Does my opponent lose due to drawing his deck out? Or does the Greater Good's ability recognize the Avatar's power only at the time of sacrifice?

A: Because the Avatar it was sacrificed to pay the activation cost of the Greater Good ability the game will use the last known information about this permanent when that Greater Good ability resolves. It does not matter that your opponent's life total is now 36, the power of the Avatar when it left play was 18 so he will only draw 18 cards.