Rules Tip of the Day: The power and toughness setting effect of type changing abilities that make permanents into creatures is not cumulative. For example using Genju of the Spires ability twice will not make the animate land a 12/2 creature.

Q: My opponent has a flipped Nezumi Graverobber in play, so it is Nighteyes the Desecrator. I want to play Pithing Needle to prevent him from using the reanimation ability of Nighteyes. What do I name, Nezumi Graverobber or Nighteyes the Desecrater?

A: None of the above. You cannot use Pithing Needle to prevent the activated abilities of a flipped flip card from being played. If you name Nezumi Graverobber then the activated ability that removes cards in an opponent’s graveyard the game when this permanent is unflipped cannot be used. But when flipped, this permanent has a different name, and the name it has is not the name of a card. This means that you cannot name Nighteyes the Desecrater as Pithing Needle comes into play.

Q: I have Celestial Kirin in play and play another one. Which triggers first, the legend rule or the ability on the card? Are the both destroyed or do I get to keep the copy I just played?

A: First of all just to clarify, the Legend Rule does not trigger or use the stack. However, because Celestial Kirin's ability triggers when you play a Spirit or Arcane spell as opposed to when one resolves, the Celestial Kirin in play will be destroyed by its own triggered ability before your second Celestial Kirin enters play. Because of this the second Kirin will enter play and the Legend rule will not be applied.

Q: If there is Sphere of Resistance in play can I play Evermind?

A: No, Evermind (the new AtJ substitute for Orim's Chant--Sheldon) does not have a mana cost at all. Effects that increase the cost of spells do not allow you to play Evermind, because it has no mana cost to add to. Because it has no mana cost, effects that ask for its converted mana cost will treat it as though were zero, but that does not mean that it has a mana cost of zero.

Q: Will Curtain of Light trigger Bushido?

A: Yes, Bushido will trigger when a creature is blocked by Curtain of Light. Becoming blocked by Curtain of Light is equivalent to being blocked by creatures. However, unless this creature also has Trample it does not change how damage is dealt or affect the game state.

Q: If I have Erayo, Soratami Ascendant in hand and Æther Vial in play if my opponent cast their fourth card this turn can vial out Erayo and flip him?

A: No, Erayo, Soratami Ascendant's flip trigger ability only triggers if it is in play when the fourth spell or the turn is played.

Q: I've played Kaho and removed 3 instants. My opponent targets Kaho with Glacial Ray. I target Kaho with Consuming Vortex. When I play her again, I will search for up to three more instants. My question is, what is the status of those instants I have not yet played with Kaho that I removed from the game the first time I played her? Is this a new Kaho that does not remember those cards or does this Kaho say, "Oh look, there are some instants in the Kaho-removed-from-the-game-zone that I can play for converted mana cost X whenever I am untapped and have been in play for at least a turn?"

A: Whenever a card goes from one zone to another it is treated as a new object. Even if you replay this Kaho, you will not be able to play those first three instants you removed from the game.

Q: My friends Wayne and Jonathon are playing. Wayne has enchanted Jonathon's 3/3 token with Ragged Veins. Wayne then attacks with his own 1/1 token which Jonathon blocks with the enchanted token. If Wayne plays Crushing Pain on the 3/3 token, how much damage will Jonathon take?

A: He will end up losing 7 life (not take damage) and the blocking creature will go to the graveyard. It does not matter that the toughness of of the enchanted creature is only three, in this example it will take a total of 7 damage.

Q: Can a player declare zero targets with Krosan Reclamation and if so, would the library require shuffling?

A: Yes, the controller of Krosan Reclamation can choose to target zero cards in the targeted players graveyard, but he will end up shuffling this player’s deck, because the card instructs him to do so.