“How many times can I use my creature’s ability? Just once?” I’ve heard that one a lot, especially among newer players; they want to know how many times they can activate a given ability per turn. The answer is pretty simple: As many times as you can pay for it! The vast majority of activated […]
Category: Resolving spells and abilities
How Tempting Offer really works
Oh, what a tempting offer we have! How do these spells really work? Find out in this post!
Widespread Panic vs. tutors (and the double whammy vs. Green Sun’s Zenith!)
Don't Panic about tutoring with Widespread Panic! It doesn't force you to shuffle away anything, since the trigger doesn't go on the stack until after the tutor has completely finished resolving (i.e., after you shuffle).
A player can choose any player’s nonland permanent with Eye of Doom (let’s all dogpile on that guy’s stuff!)
Eye of Doom doesn't tell you whose permanents to put the counters on, so all nonland permanents are fair play!
A spell cast via Jeleva’s trigger goes to the graveyard when it’s done resolving
Just because you cast a spell from exile, that doesn't mean it goes there when it resolves!
Brave the Elements, Gods Willing, and Auras
Back when Zendikar block was still in standard, was one of my favorite cards. We may have that back, but we also have , which grants protection to just one of your creatures, but that creature needn’t be white (plus you get to Scry 1). Now, we’re also in a Standard heavy with Auras and […]
Bestow and Cost Modification
All right, the dust from Theros has more or less settled, and everyone’s got a pretty good feel for the mechanics. But there are some nitpicky things that might not come up often, that you’re unsure how to handle. For example, when does a spell cast for its Bestow cost ‘count’ as the appropriate kind […]
Ashiok can’t be killed by Lightning Strike if Ashiok’s controller uses the +2 ability right away.
The active player gets priority after a spell resolves, and can use that priority to activate a loyalty ability (adding counters as a cost) before the opponent can cast an instant.
Possibility Storm + Bestow
Possibility Storm cares about the "spell" that was exiled, not the card as it exists in exile. A bestowed card will be exiled as an Enchantment-Aura, so you have to dig for an enchantment card to cast.