Rules Tip of the Day: Prior to the release of the 6th edition rules, it used to be that you could not use a damage prevention or redirection ability unless a appropriate creature was about to receive damage. That is no longer the case, and you can use a prevention or redirection ability at any time.
Q: I control Erayo, Soratami Ascendant. During the current turn, three spells have already been played. Unfortunately, the fourth spell happens to be an enemy's Shock. What happens now? Is Erayo flipped before the Shock hits her, countering the Shock, or does she die?
A: Erayo will flip, as that ability triggers when the fourth spell is played not when it resolves. This triggered ability will go on the stack on top of the fourth spell that is played. Because it resolves before the Shock does, the Shock will be countered on resolution as its target is now illegal.
Q: When Sakashima the Imposter comes into play, I decide to copy Myojin of Seeing Winds. Does Sakashima come into play with a divinity counter on it? May I use the ability and remove the counter? I ask this because Sakashima copies the creature but not its name (like Clone does). So, will the text on it remain something like "Remove a divinity counter from Myojin of Seeing Winds: ..." or "Remove a divinity counter from ~this~: ..."?
A: When a permanent refers to itself in its rules text it really means "this permanent." So this Sakashima copy of the white Myojin has an ability that read, "Remove a divinity counter from [this permanent]: Draw a card for each permanent you control."
Q: Ideas Unbound seems to be almost as good a card as Concentrate for half the mana price! Assume you play ideas Unbound (the only card in your hand), and you draw 3 cards then manage to play some or all of them, is there then no penalty for not being able to discard three cards?
A: You are correct. If you are unable to discard three cards when this delayed triggered ability resolves, nothing else happens.
Q: If I play Twincast, does the copied spell count as a spell too? I'm also asking this because of Erayo. So, does "random sorcery/instant" + Twincast = 2 spells or 3 spells?
A: The copy made by Twincast is a spell, but it is not a played spell. So while Erayo's ability will count the Twincast, it will not count this copy. In this example only 3 spells have been played.
Q: I have Mycosynth Lattice, Leonin Sun Standard, and Crystal Shard in play. Can I activate Leonin Sun Standard, play March of the Machines, and then use Crystal Shard to pick it up without killing all of my land?
A: No. When Leonin Sun Standard's ability resolves it will only give +1/+1 to those permanents you control that are creatures at that time. Your artifact lands are not creatures at this point, so they will not be affected.
Q: Can you Stifle the portion of Final Fortune that causes you to lose the game? It is a triggered ability, isn't it?
A: Yes, Final Fortune does create a delayed triggered ability when it resolves. You can counter this delayed triggered ability with Stifle.
Q: Can I choose to untap lands controlled by my opponent when Rewind resolves?
A: Yes, there is not a restriction on what lands you untap with Rewind. You can choose to untap any lands in the game when it resolves, it does not matter who controls them.
Q: I attack with Hollow Specter and my wife has untapped Farsight Mask in play. The Specter is unblocked so she takes 2 damage. What
happens next? Does Specter's ability go off first making her discard immediately,then draw a card from the Mask's ability or she gets to draw a card first, then discard?
A: When this Specter deals damage in this situation, both its ability and the ability of the Farsight Mask will trigger at the same time. When multiple abilities trigger at the same time they go on the stack in APNAP (Active Player, Non-Active Player) order. This means that those controlled by the active player go on the stack in whatever order he wants, followed by those controlled by the non-active player in whatever order he wants. Then these triggered abilities will resolve in LIFO (Last In, First Out) order. In other words the last item added to the stack will resolve first. As you are attacking, you must be the active player. This means that the Farsight Mask ability will go on the stack second and it will resolve first. So your wife will draw a card, if she chooses to, before the Specter ability makes her discard.
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