Downtime School #13

Send your rules questions to level 5 judge MODO at NOSPAM@wizards.com. Just remove the NOSPAM part to make the email work. It answers approximately 3,489,573,489,769,382,746 questions a week.

Can’t find the answer to your rules question? Search our database at mtgobugs.wizards.com.


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Q: I activate Words of Worship five times, then cast Trade Secrets. I gain 20 life and draw 2 cards, then my opponent chooses to draw an additional two cards multiple times. Do I gain 5 life and draw 3 cards each time this happens, gain 20 life and draw 0 cards, or just draw cards normally?

A: None of the above. You gain 5 life, then you take the rest of the cards from your library and add them to your hand face down. These cards count as in your hand, but you can not look at them.


This could make playing cards a bit difficult.


Q: I enchant a Krosan Vorine with Seton’s Desire and have threshold. I attack and provoke one of my opponent’s two creatures. How can they block?

A: Krosan Vorine can only be blocked by one creature. Because all creatures must attempt to block it, your opponent can choose any one creature to block it. Any additional blockers will be prevented. However, if you choose to block with the provoked creature, all other creatures must also block. Therefore, you can not block with the provoked creature, but may block with any other one creature.


Q: I cast Life Burst and have Nefarious Lich out. How many cards do I draw?

A: One. Nefarious Lich replaces all life gain with drawing a single card.


Q: If I change my mind about which creature I want to give a +1/+1 counter to with Forgotten Ancient, what happens?

A: The creature instead gets a -1/-1 counter.


Q: I was playing my friend with my Zur’s Wierding life-gain deck. I played Zur’s Wierding, and then started preventing them from drawing cards. But instead of losing any life, I drew cards off my opponent’s deck. Is this the way it’s supposed to work?

A: Yes. Zur’s Wierding is a replacement effect.


Q: I activate Orcish Spy to look at my top three cards. Is there any way to rearrange them?

A: Yes. Orcish Spy shuffles the library after every use.


Q: How many other creatures do you recommend I play in order to keep my Emperor Crocodile alive without walking into Wrath of God?

A: Well I don’t usually answer play questions, this one reflects a common rules misconception. Where Emperor Crocodile says “other creatures” it is talking in the third person and recognizes itself as a separate creature. This is due to Emperor Crocodile’s upbringing in the royal courts of Brunei.


Q: Can I play instants or use fast effects after combat damage is on the stack?

A: No.


Q: Who chooses which lands untap with Rewind?

A: The opponent of the player who cast Rewind.


Q: I have Ceta Sanctuary, Birds of Paradise, and Balduvian Barbarians in play. I have Basking Rootwalla in my hand. When do I get to Madness out the rootwalla, before or after I draw two cards?

A: You do not draw cards or discard cards. Ceta Sanctuary only lets you draw one card a turn, if you have any red or green permanents in play. God, do you guys even read the cards?


Q: My opponent casts Sea’s Claim on my City of Brass. Do I still take a point of damage if I add mana from it?

A: Yes. City of Brass has the supertype of “Always-deals-one-damage-to-its-owner-whenever-it-is-tapped,” which can not be removed even if it is changed to a basic land. This is part of the Eighth edition rules.


Q: Does my Planar Portal fly? It has wings.

A: Despite having wings, Planar Portal does not fly.


Also, being a Bird doesn't automatically make a creature fly.

Q: How exactly do I use Guerilla Tactics to make sure my opponent doesn’t want to use discard on me? Could I show it to him in my hand before he starts casting discard?

A: No, you can not show your opponent your hand unless an effect forces you to. However, if it is in your library, graveyard, or hand, MODO will make sure that the Tactics effect works on any card in your hand. MODO hopes this will stop people from playing discard, ever since MODO lost to that damn Mono-Black Control deck. It also triggers on any forced discards an opponent controls, because MODO also lost to a U/G Madness decks.


Q: Can you explain how swiss pairings work? I mean, does a 4-1-1 make top 8 in a 6 round tournament?

A: Looks like we are out of time, and the servers will have to go down for about half an hour. We will reimburse anyone who is a tournament with their entry fee.

----------------------

Ask MODO is a weekly series devoted to asking any questions. MODO is a level 5 judge, and its rulings supersede all other judges.

Discuss this article in the Magic: the Gathering Forums!

Downtime School #13

Send your rules questions to level 5 judge MODO at NOSPAM@wizards.com. Just remove the NOSPAM part to make the email work. It answers approximately 3,489,573,489,769,382,746 questions a week.

Can’t find the answer to your rules question? Search our database at mtgobugs.wizards.com.


-----------------
Q: I activate Words of Worship five times, then cast Trade Secrets. I gain 20 life and draw 2 cards, then my opponent chooses to draw an additional two cards multiple times. Do I gain 5 life and draw 3 cards each time this happens, gain 20 life and draw 0 cards, or just draw cards normally?

A: None of the above. You gain 5 life, then you take the rest of the cards from your library and add them to your hand face down. These cards count as in your hand, but you can not look at them.


This could make playing cards a bit difficult.


Q: I enchant a Krosan Vorine with Seton’s Desire and have threshold. I attack and provoke one of my opponent’s two creatures. How can they block?

A: Krosan Vorine can only be blocked by one creature. Because all creatures must attempt to block it, your opponent can choose any one creature to block it. Any additional blockers will be prevented. However, if you choose to block with the provoked creature, all other creatures must also block. Therefore, you can not block with the provoked creature, but may block with any other one creature.


Q: I cast Life Burst and have Nefarious Lich out. How many cards do I draw?

A: One. Nefarious Lich replaces all life gain with drawing a single card.


Q: If I change my mind about which creature I want to give a +1/+1 counter to with Forgotten Ancient, what happens?

A: The creature instead gets a -1/-1 counter.


Q: I was playing my friend with my Zur’s Wierding life-gain deck. I played Zur’s Wierding, and then started preventing them from drawing cards. But instead of losing any life, I drew cards off my opponent’s deck. Is this the way it’s supposed to work?

A: Yes. Zur’s Wierding is a replacement effect.


Q: I activate Orcish Spy to look at my top three cards. Is there any way to rearrange them?

A: Yes. Orcish Spy shuffles the library after every use.


Q: How many other creatures do you recommend I play in order to keep my Emperor Crocodile alive without walking into Wrath of God?

A: Well I don’t usually answer play questions, this one reflects a common rules misconception. Where Emperor Crocodile says “other creatures” it is talking in the third person and recognizes itself as a separate creature. This is due to Emperor Crocodile’s upbringing in the royal courts of Brunei.


Q: Can I play instants or use fast effects after combat damage is on the stack?

A: No.


Q: Who chooses which lands untap with Rewind?

A: The opponent of the player who cast Rewind.


Q: I have Ceta Sanctuary, Birds of Paradise, and Balduvian Barbarians in play. I have Basking Rootwalla in my hand. When do I get to Madness out the rootwalla, before or after I draw two cards?

A: You do not draw cards or discard cards. Ceta Sanctuary only lets you draw one card a turn, if you have any red or green permanents in play. God, do you guys even read the cards?


Q: My opponent casts Sea’s Claim on my City of Brass. Do I still take a point of damage if I add mana from it?

A: Yes. City of Brass has the supertype of “Always-deals-one-damage-to-its-owner-whenever-it-is-tapped,” which can not be removed even if it is changed to a basic land. This is part of the Eighth edition rules.


Q: Does my Planar Portal fly? It has wings.

A: Despite having wings, Planar Portal does not fly.


Also, being a Bird doesn't automatically make a creature fly.

Q: How exactly do I use Guerilla Tactics to make sure my opponent doesn’t want to use discard on me? Could I show it to him in my hand before he starts casting discard?

A: No, you can not show your opponent your hand unless an effect forces you to. However, if it is in your library, graveyard, or hand, MODO will make sure that the Tactics effect works on any card in your hand. MODO hopes this will stop people from playing discard, ever since MODO lost to that damn Mono-Black Control deck. It also triggers on any forced discards an opponent controls, because MODO also lost to a U/G Madness decks.


Q: Can you explain how swiss pairings work? I mean, does a 4-1-1 make top 8 in a 6 round tournament?

A: Looks like we are out of time, and the servers will have to go down for about half an hour. We will reimburse anyone who is a tournament with their entry fee.

----------------------

Ask MODO is a weekly series devoted to asking any questions. MODO is a level 5 judge, and its rulings supersede all other judges.

Discuss this article in the Magic: the Gathering Forums!