Rules Questions and Answers
- Adam Conus
Aether Tide, Mind Maggots, Vampire Hounds
Q: Do I discard from play? From the hand? Do I choose?
A: Discards always come from the hand, never from play.
Cataclysm
Q: What happens if someone doesn't have one of the listed types of
permanent?
A: Then the player doesn't need to worry about it. He or she simply
ignores those parts of Cataclysm's effect that can't be fulfilled.
City of Traitors
Q: What if I play an ability that allows me to put a land into play? Do I
have to sacrifice City of Traitors?
A: No. "Putting a land into play" is different from "playing a land" and
would not cause City of Traitors to be sacrificed.
Convalescence
Q: Can I play the upkeep ability again if I still have 10 or less life
afterward?
A: No. This is a phase ability, so you can play it only once during your
upkeep.
Q: If I have two copies of Convalescence in play and I have 10 life, can
I use both to end up with a total of 12 life?
A: No. Each copy checks to make sure the player has 10 or less life when
its effect resolves, so you can't play several Convalescences' abilities to
go above 11 life.
Culling the Weak
Q: Can I play the spell's ability more than once? Say, sacrifice three
creatures for twelve mana?
A: No, you can sacrifice only one creature. If you could do this more
than once, the card text would say so. Although additional costs like the one
in Culling the Weak's text box look like activated abilities, they're not.
They're additional costs required to play the card, and they can be paid only
once. (If it were a permanent with the same text, the ability could be played
multiple times.)
Entropic Specter
Q: If the number of cards in the opponent's hand changes, do the
Specter's power and toughness change?
A: Yes. Every time the number of cards in the opponent's hand changes,
the Specter's power and toughness will immediately reflect that change.
Fade Away
Q: Does it affect everyone?
A: Yes.
High Ground
Q: What if I have more than one High Ground in play? Can each of my
creatures then block more than two attackers?
A: Yes. For instance, if you control three High Grounds, your creatures
can each block up to four attackers.
Q: How do I assign damage when my creature blocks more than one attacker?
A: As always, unless the attackers are banded, you may assign damage
dealt by your creatures however you choose.
Necrologia
Q: Do I still have to discard down to seven cards if I've got more than
seven in my hand after playing Necrologia?
A: Yes, you discard down to seven cards at the end of the discard phase,
after instants have been played. You can't play any instants after you
discard.
Null Brooch
Q: What if I have no cards in my hand? Can I still play its ability?
A: Yes.
Oath of Druids, Oath of Ghouls, Oath of Lieges, Oath of Mages, Oath of
Scholars
Q: Can I play the enchantment's ability more than once if the appropriate
condition still applies afterward?
A: No. This is a phase ability, so you can play it only once during your
upkeep.
Q: If I have two copies in play, can I play the abilities of both?
A: Yes, provided the appropriate condition still applies after the first
effect resolves.
Onslaught
Q: Can I tap a creature that's already tapped?
A: If you like, yes.
Q: If I control the only creatures, do I still have to tap one whenever I
successfully cast a creature spell?
A: Yes.
Paroxysm
Q: Can I play Paroxysm's ability more than once per turn?
A: No. This is a phase ability, so you can play it only once during your
upkeep.
Q: If I have two copies in play, can I play the ability of each to give a
creature the bonus twice?
A: Yes.
Plaguebearer
Q: What does the "XX" in the ability mean?
A: On cards that have a variable ("X" cost and effect), the value of the
variable is the same for all occurrences of X on the card. Plaguebearer's
ability costs XXB to play, where X equals the total casting cost of the
target creature. Now let's say the total casting cost of that creature is 3.
There are two Xs in the ability's activation cost, so you'd have to pay
(3+3+B) or 6B to destroy the target creature.
Plated Rootwalla
Q: Can I play its ability several times to give it a larger bonus?
A: No. Its ability can only be played once, so the most it can give
itself is +3/+3.
Predatory Hunger
Q: Do artifact creatures count for its effect?
A: Yes, they do. When a card refers to "creature spells," it covers both
summon and artifact creature spells.
Ravenous Baboons
Q: Can I play it if there are no nonbasic lands in play?
A: Yes. If there are no legal targets, its coming-into-play ability
fizzles.
Skyshroud War Beast
Q: If the number of nonbasic lands the opponent controls changes, do the
War Beast's power and toughness change?
A: Yes, the War Beast's power and toughness constantly change to reflect
the current number of nonbasic lands the opponent controls.
Soltari Visionary
Q: If it deals damage to a player who controls no enchantments, what
happens?
A: Its ability fizzles--nothing happens.
Q: Can I choose not to destroy an enchantment?
A: You must destroy one if the damaged player controls one.
Sonic Burst
Q: Can I discard more than one card to deal more than 4 damage?
A: No, if you could discard more than one card, the card text would say
so. Although additional costs like the one in Sonic Burst's text box look
like activated abilities, they're not. They're additional costs required to
play the card, and they can be paid only once. (If it were a permanent with
the same text, the ability could be played multiple times.)
Transmogrifying Licid
Q: If I make the Licid an enchantment, does it still count as an
artifact?
A: No. It no longer counts as any other type of permanent.
Volrath's Dungeon
Q: Can any player discard cards to force players to put cards from their
hands on top of their libraries?
A: No, only the controller of the enchantment can play its activated
ability.
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reserved.