Imagine - Clarifications

If my deck has multiple cards that CAN be Starting Cards, can I draw all of those cards into my hand?

Each Magi's listed starting cards can only be retrieved once. For example, if your Magi has listed "Starting: Eebit, Weebo, Grow," you can only get one Eebit, one Weebo, and one Grow. Remember that non-Magi cards that have "Starting: " on them are simply edits to the Magi's starting card list. When Krawg says "Starting: Ashgar," that just means that Ashgar now has Krawg added to his starting card list. So you can only get a single Krawg as a starting card for Ashgar; you can't retrieve all the Krawgs you're playing with.

Can you use Shadow Cloak or Shell before bringing creatures into play, and will they protect those creatures from opposing spells and powers such as Corrupt?

Yes, both Shadow Cloak and Shell can be used before playing creatures, and they will protect the next creature(s) played (assuming it's Orothe for Shell) from effects like Corrupt, which would discard the creature. While Corrupt is a Core Spell and not affected by Shadow Cloak, the protective effect of Shell still applies to the creature entering play.

Since I can process my effects in the order that I want them to occur, if I have M'Rika out and Voda is my next Magi, can I interchange out and then process Voda's Deluge to add 4 to the biggest creature?

You must process Deluge since it will still be the same part of your turn, and Voda's Deluge is not optional.

Can I use Furok Guardian's effect more than once per turn? And if I discard a creature, bring it back with Furok Guardian, can I use that creature's power again since it returns as a new version of itself?

You can use Furok Guardian's effect as many times per turn as you have energy to pay. If you have 15 energy and discard three of your creatures one at a time, you could spend 5 energy each to return them all at the end of the turn. The Guardian would then be discarded due to having no energy left. Since the creature returns at the end of the turn, it cannot use its power immediately (as that step has already passed). However, if the creature had a power that could be used later in the turn or during future turns, yes—you could use it again because returning from discard creates a new version of the same creature. Note: Furok Guardian's Terra Rebirth triggers only on single discards, not multiple simultaneous discards (like those caused by Tidal Wave), so each discard must be separate.

Can I play another copy of Agram's Plaything after morphing it into a creature with Puppet Strings, since the original now counts as a creature and there is no limit on the number of same-named creatures in play?

You cannot play another copy of Agram's Plaything because you can only play Relics if no card you control has the same name. Even though the original Agram's Plaything is now a creature due to being morphed, it still counts as having the same name, so playing another copy would violate the rule against duplicate named cards in play.

Does choosing a region to target with Wildfire constitute a specific reference to core that would be affected by Ashio's Weave Twist?

Choosing a region doesn't cause that choice to appear in print on the card (where it would be affected by Weave Twist). Your assumption is correct.

If Abwyns Quill is used to make a card reference core, does that trigger Ashio's Weave Twist effect?

Ashio's Weave Twist checks on the reference constantly—if you changed it with Quill, the Weave Twist would immediately change it back.

Can Arderial use Abwyns Quill to make an anti-core card target core again, and what happens in that case?

Yes, and as stated above, the Weave Twist would change it back immediately.

When an opposing creature is discarded from play by one of your cards, do you draw a card with Evil Evu? Specifically, does using Syphon Stone to reduce a creature's energy to zero count as discarding it from play, and does defeating a creature in battle also trigger Evil Evu's effect?

Yes, you draw a card when an opposing creature is discarded from play by one of your cards. This includes reducing a creature's energy to zero with Syphon Stone or defeating a creature in battle, as both actions result in the creature being removed from play.

When using Hrada's Tainted Touch on a Magi, can that Magi still play relics from their original region?

Tainted Touch only allows the Magi to play Creatures and Spells; as such, the Magi is cut off from playing relics from their original region as they normally would. However, if a relic specifically allows the Shadow Magi of that region to play it, it may still be playable under Tainted Touch.

If there is a 1 energy Wellisk in play and you play Koil, would Wellisk's Dream Barrier effect discard Koil and its energy first, or would Koil's Nightmare effect discard the one energy from Wellisk first, killing it?

The active player processes their effects first, so Koil would plink the Wellisk before the Wellisk could discard the Koil.

With Rayje's Cloak, would it prevent Sorreah's Suppress?

Yes, absolutely. That is one of the express purposes of Rayje's Cloak.

What is the correct wording for the Recirculation rule in Magi-Nation Duel, and where is it officially published?

During your Draw Step, if you are required to draw one or more cards and there are none left in your deck, immediately shuffle your discard pile into your deck and draw the remaining cards as needed. You may only recirculate your discard into your deck in this manner once per turn. If you need to draw from an empty deck a second time during your Draw Step, or if you need to do so for any reason outside your Draw Step, you simply do not get to draw the needed cards. There is no penalty for not being able to draw in these situations, nor do any Effects that normally are activated upon drawing a card come into play.

What happens when you cast Vortex of Knowledge or multiple Vortices on Step 2 with only one card left? Do you draw just that one card?

Yes, you draw only the one card remaining in your deck.

What about casting Spectral Shield on Step 2 with only one card left?

You still gain a shield counter as normal, regardless of how many cards are left in your deck.

What does Lascinth's 'Reflex' ability do, and why is it useful?

Lascinth's Reflexes effect allows it to remove its opponent's energy before the opponent can remove its energy, normally happening simultaneously. If this early removal causes the opponent to lose all their energy, the creature dies immediately, preventing them from dealing damage in return.

What happens when you 'lockdown' Lockdown? Do existing effects from the previous Lockdown go away, and how can the second Lockdown function?

Previous one-shot effects are not retroactively removed—damage already dealt remains. However, ongoing effects (such as preventing spell plays or reducing combat damage) are suppressed and cannot be used while the Lockdown is active. If you Lockdown Lockdown, all Lockdowns in play—including your own—are silenced, meaning you cannot access your Belt to repeat the action until the initial Lockdown ends.

If Rock Slide is used and the biggest creature in play cannot be disregarded from play, does it automatically work on the next biggest creature?

It comes down to the wording on the card. If the creature says "cannot be discarded from play..." then the Rock Slide cannot be played at all. If the creature says "is not affected by Spells, etc. that specifically discard..." then the Rock Slide can be played but has no effect. In any case it doesn't revert to the second largest in play.

If my opponent drops a Belt and names Burrow, and I steal it with a Cube, is Burrow still locked down?

Yes. Gaining control of a card that did something does not mean that whatever it did previously is undone.

Do cards lose memory if they switch sides of the table?

Generally speaking, no. If there are exceptions, it will mention it on the card.

If I bring into play Warriors Boots during my first PRS step and instantly use them to bring out a Junjertrug, can I then play another Warriors Boots in the same PRS step to bring out another creature?

Yes. Junjertrug must attack each turn if able, but that does not mean that as soon as you play him, you must immediately switch to your Attack Step.

If I have a card in play that allows me to pay one less Energy to play a Creature (ex: Swamp Hyren's Effect), when my Creature hits the table, does it get its Starting Energy or the amount of energy I spent to play it (in this case, one less energy)?

Paying energy to bring out a creature is not the same as sliding energy counters from your Magi to the creature. The energy is actually and truly lost when you use it to play a creature, and then when the creature enters play, it comes in with whatever its Starting Energy is listed as. So if you want to bring in a 5-energy creature, you pay 5e from your Magi, and then it comes in with 5e. If you have a card that allows you a discount on that cost — say, Shadow Tony Jones — then you would pay 4e, but the creature would still come in with energy equal to its starting energy — i.e., 5e.

How does Jungle Hyren's ability work when playing a 5e creature? If I twist it to 7e, do I pay 7 energy and it starts with 7 energy? Does this also apply if I twist it down to 3e?

You've got it correct. Jungle Hyren's ability lets you alter the Starting Energy of the creature you play, ranging from 3 to 7. If you choose to play it as a 7e creature, you pay its Starting Energy cost (7 energy), and it enters play with 7 energy. Similarly, if you twist it down to 3e, you pay 3 energy and it starts with 3 energy. The changed Starting Energy only lasts until the end of the turn, but this does not affect the current amount of energy on the creature while in play.

When forced to discard a card by Protect, my opponent discards Abraxin's Crown. Can I use Deep Wellisk's Sunken Treasure effect to prevent the Crown from knocking out my hand and energy?

No. Sunken Treasure only applies when a card is played, not when it is discarded. Since Abraxin's Crown was discarded rather than played, its effect resolves normally and cannot be stopped by Sunken Treasure.

What happens when there are two Corrupts in play? When the first creature is played, does the second Corrupt activate for the same creature, or do they each trigger separately when different creatures are played?

When a creature is played, both Corrupts trigger simultaneously. They then resolve in player order, meaning the creature becomes Core and changes control to each player in turn, one after another. The final controller of the creature will be the last player in player order who resolves their Corrupt effect. As a result, one creature can end up affected by multiple Corrupts if they are all resolved before it leaves play.

Spells, Powers, and Effects do not reduce energy loss. What does that specifically apply to? I thought that it refers to energy loss on the Magi; thinking that Collar of Dispair for instance wouldn't affect the magi if the sword is used. Could someone clarify this for me? Examples are helpful.

Pretty much anything that would reduce energy loss. For example, the Invulnerability Effect ("X loses one less energy from attacks.") is a good example with regards to Creatures. Collar doesn't cause an energy loss, it simply reduces a number on the card (which is then used during the game to determine how much energy to add to the Magi).

After using Giant Parathin's Interchange power, if Vorga is defeated and Gar is the next undefeated Magi in my pile, how do I get to Gar?

When your current Magi is defeated and you go to get your next one, you reveal the next undefeated Magi in your stack. It doesn't matter if there is a Defeated one already in the way.

When Dave plays an Eebit while having a Robe of Vines on the table and Eebit Brother has a Naroom Shadow Geyser in play, does the geyser or the robe effect resolve first?

When two or more effects are triggered at the same time, they are resolved in player order. The active player (Dave) resolves all his effects first, so he adds one energy from the Robe of Vines. Then, when the Eebit Brother resolves his effects, the Naroom Shadow Geyser causes the Eebit to lose two energy. The Eebit survives with just one energy remaining.

If a card allows you to play Brushfire from your discard pile once per turn, can you play multiple copies of Brushfire each turn if you have more than one in your discard pile?

No, the ability says "once per turn" which limits you to playing only one Brushfire from your discard pile per turn, regardless of how many are in your discard pile.

Can I use multiple Brushfires in one turn if they are in my discard pile?

No, you can only use one Brushfire per turn, even if multiple Brushfires are in your discard pile. Each Brushfire's effect says 'once per turn,' so the first time you play a Brushfire from your discard each turn is the only time you may do so.

If you play a Giant Parathin and then activate its power, does the next Magi get to play Creatures or is it stuck in the second Powers phase?

Even though you swap Magi, the order of your turn is not changed. If you are in the 2nd PSR step when you begin Interchange, you are still in the 2nd PSR step when it is finished.

Can a Deep Hyren discard itself in order to use its Power (Hurricane) if it has its Starting Energy?

If the Deep Hyren is at 7 energy, then after using Hurricane it will still be around with 1 energy and can be discarded. However, if it is at 6 energy, it will be immediately discarded when paying the energy cost for its Power.

If I play Solar Flare twice on my turn, would all my surviving Arderial creatures that attacked and defeated an opposing creature get 8 energy instead of only 4 energy?

Yes. Quite a power play if you can get the situation to come up right.

Does Burrowed count if used on Crystal Parmalag?

No, Burrow does not work to reduce the energy loss of Crystal Parmalag. While Burrow prevents more than two energy from being lost per turn, Crystal Parmalag's ability specifically prevents any spells, powers, or effects from preventing it from losing energy, which overrides Burrow's effect.

If you use a Belt on a card with an ongoing effect like Shadow Cloak, does the effect get canceled?

No. The Belt prevents future uses of whatever you Lockdown. Anything already activated does not get 'turned off.'

Can I use Eyes of Arderial to name Gilded Cage and prevent its discard effect?

No, you cannot use Eyes of Arderial to prevent Gilded Cage's discard effect because the effect is not part of the spell being played—it is an alternative text or activated effect that triggers when the ability resolves, not during casting. Eyes of Arderial only prevents spells from being cast, so it does not apply to effects like Gilded Cage's.

If the ruling on Zannah and Bubble applies as a precedent, does 'Ummm... No' only work when a spell targets exactly one creature?

Yes. Extrapolating that ruling makes for this conclusion. So you can't Umm...NO!! A two-Creature Tidal Wave.

If one of my creatures uses Weave, do I move energy from the creature using Weave to a different creature, take energy from another creature and place it on the creature using Weave, or can I do either?

Either.

If I have a Mantel of Shadows and Kesia in play, can I play Core Spells?

Yes, Kesia can play Core Spells with Mantel of Shadows, as Mantel of Shadows takes precedence over Kesia's effect due to being more specific.

When you run out of cards in your library, when exactly do you shuffle your discard pile and make it your library? Can your discard pile be "recycled" more than once a turn?

Your discard pile can only be shuffled into your deck during your Draw Step, when you would draw a card and cannot because your deck is empty. And this recirculation can only happen once per Draw Step.

I have an Uwamar Beads in play ('Each turn, the first opposing spell, power or attack that removes energy from your magi discards no energy'). In a multiplayer game (Weave, Core, Arderial), Core plays Blight ('Discard two energy from each non-Core, non-Bograth Creature and Magi in play. Add one energy to each Core and Bograth Creature and Magi in play.'). By my literal interpretation, the spell does not remove energy from my creatures/magi or Arderial's creatures/magi because it would remove energy from my magi (assuming I had energy on my Magi), since the text says 'discards no energy'. Is this a correct interpretation? The same applies if a Deep Hyren uses Hurricane, a Core Grag detonates, etc.

OFFICIAL CLARIFICATION. Treat Uwamar Beads as if it says '...discards no energy from your Magi.' This is how Uwamar Beads is meant to operate (yes that infamous designer intent rears its ugly head again).

Does using Agram's Plaything to make a non-creature a creature count as 'playing' a creature for the purposes of growing a Wudge?

Your assumption is correct. A card changing card type while in play does not activate any coming into play actions.

If Agram uses Agram's Plaything to take control of another creature, does the Plaything get discarded?

Yes, the Plaything is discarded because it was a creature at the time.

Has there been any reversal of, or thoughts of reversing, the ruling about defensive effects triggering an additional time when an attack is redirected (e.g., Bo'Ahsa)?

No, there has been no reversal or change to the ruling. When an attack is redirected, defensive effects can trigger again, as seen with Bo'Ahsa redirecting to Speag, allowing Speag's ability to activate twice and benefiting from Zassyfer's effect both times. This is part of Weave's strength—being attacked triggers powerful interactions.

Does Cliff Hyren's Shield ability take precedence over Sagawal's Watchful ability when a spell like Rock Slide would discard Cliff Hyren, who is the largest creature on the board?

Yes, you can have Cliff Hyren retarget a spell to himself using his Shield ability, then use Sagawal's Watchful ability to have Sagawal discarded instead.

What does "own" mean in the context of the card Power- None for You: Choose any one creature in play that you own. Gain control of the chosen creature?

A card you 'own' is defined as a card in your deck or Magi pile when you come to the table. You may lend a deck to a friend to play against you, but for the purposes of gameplay your friend 'owns' the cards they sit down with, even if you loaned them those cards.

How does Kesia work with Mantle of Shadow?

Mantle of Shadow allows any magi to play Core spells, but Kesia's ability specifically restricts her from playing non-Weave spells. Since Kesia's restriction is self-referential and more specific than Mantle of Shadow's general allowance, Kesia cannot play non-Core spells.

Is the Specificity argument valid for resolving conflicts between card effects like Mantle and Kesia's restriction?

The Specificity argument is problematic and overly complex. While both Cloak and Kesia impose restrictions on who can play what, Mantle creates a specific exception allowing Kesia to play Core region spells despite her general restriction against non-Weave regions. Stealth is generally available to Weave magi but specifically restricted for Kesia, making it less specific than the Mantle's targeted exception. The intent behind Mantle is explicitly to override Kesia’s limitation, suggesting that a more straightforward resolution—such as treating Mantle as an overriding effect rather than relying on specificity—is preferable. Given the ongoing confusion and pain caused by this argument, especially in cases like Hrada Lock, it is recommended to abandon the Specificity vs. General framework entirely and seek alternative rule mechanisms.

If Kesia is playing with a Mantle of Shadows, can she play core spells?

Yes, Kesia can play core spells while controlling a Mantle of Shadows because the Mantle's effect takes precedence over Kesia's general restriction, as it is more specific in its wording.

Player 1 plays an Orok. Player 2 plays a Gorath and enslaves Player 1's Orok. Player 1 then turns the Gorath. Who has control of the Orok?

Player 2 retains control of the Orok. Losing control of a Gorath does not affect creatures it has enslaved. The enslaved creature returns to its original controller only when the Gorath leaves play, not when control of the Gorath changes.

If I have no creatures in play and my opponent has a Xamf in play, does Xamf's effect trigger at the beginning of my turn?

No, Xamf's effect does not trigger. Xamf's ability checks whether your smallest creature is larger than your opponent's largest creature. If you have no creatures in play, you do not have a smallest creature, so the condition cannot be evaluated as true. Even though you technically 'have more creatures' than your opponent (who has none), the effect specifically requires that you have at least one creature to compare sizes. Therefore, with no creatures, the condition fails and the ability does not trigger.

When using Koll's Dream Twist ability to bring in a creature, does the player need to pay the creature's starting energy cost?

You do not need to pay the energy cost of bringing in the new creature via Koll; it is already 'subsumed' in the process of paying for the Power and discarding of another creature in the first place. Generally speaking, the default assumption for not-specified cards like this is that if an energy cost is not specified when playing a card in some alternate fashion, then there is no energy cost.

I have Gia as my magi with Gia's Tome in play. I play a Bungaloo from the Tome, it costs me one energy off of Gia, do I add one energy to bring it to its starting energy?

Correct. It costs you one energy less to play it, but the creatures still enter play with their starting energy.

Can creatures with anti-magic (e.g. Colossus, Deep Wellisk, Crystal Parmalag) stay in play after Wessig's Landslide effect activates?

Colossus and Crystal Parmalag remain in play because they are protected against specific creature discards. Deep Wellisk also remains in play because it resists being specifically discarded from play, though it does not have the Anti-Magic effect as a named ability.

Is restoring a creature to its starting energy (e.g., Weebo's Vitalize power) considered adding energy (e.g., Trask's effect that gives it a power whenever a spell or power adds energy to another creature)?

The term "restore" is considered energy addition if the total energy change is higher than the original amount of energy on the card, and energy removal if going down. Effects which are triggered upon adding or losing energy would be activated, as appropriate. If a creature is at the same energy level it was before the Restore, then it is considered neither addition nor subtraction, and no effects activate as a result.

How exactly does Nara's power to double energy gain from spells work? For example, if Nara casts Fire Flow on her creature and chooses to move 4 energy from herself, does her effect force her to remove 8 and add it to the creature, or does she only remove 4 but the creature gets 8?

She moves four energy from herself to the creature, and then an additional four energy is added to the creature as a result of her ability.

If a spell targets multiple creatures, does the Zannah effect no longer work that turn? For example: Player 1 plays a Dark Furok. Player 2 plays a Carillion. Player 1 uses Warrior Boots on a Core Grag to remove damage from both the Carillion and Zannah at the same time. Can the Furok attack the Carillion as normal now?

No, the Core Grag would not be Charmed and the Dark Furok would be (because as ruled, Charm only works against things that affect a single target, and not multiples).

How does Cataclysm interact with an active Shadow Cloak?

The creature affected by Shadow Cloak remains in play, as Cataclysm's effect is not negated by the cloak.

How does Cataclysm interact with Orlon's Wellisks?

Orlon's Wellisks remain in play after Cataclysm resolves, as they are not destroyed by the card's effect.

How does Cataclysm interact with Cliff Hyren and his allied creatures?

All non-Kybar creatures and relics are discarded when Cataclysm resolves. However, all Kybar Token (KT) creatures deflect the blast onto Cliff Hyren, causing him to be discarded instead of them.

If I use Interchange and my next Magi is Elios, will I get to draw 8 cards at the end of my turn? And what happens if I play a Flood of Energy?

If you Interchange, then by definition you were not able to "choose a number" at the beginning of that turn (since Elios wasn't out at the time). Thus, when the time comes to draw cards, you just draw your normal two cards. If you play Flood of Energy, you energize at whatever your Magi's energize rate is at the time. So, yes, if you Interchange into Elios, his Energize Rate for the remainder of the turn is still 8, since you didn't adjust it at the beginning of the turn.

Is Cataclysm considered a specific discard effect?

Yes, Cataclysm is specifically a discard effect, contrary to previous rulings. This clarification has been updated on the MagiDuel website and confirmed by Steve's prior ruling.

Can Barqua's Bubble prevent multi-target Spells like Thunderquake?

No, Barqua's Bubble cannot prevent multi-targeting Spells such as Thunderquake if they affect multiple Creatures, not just one. The bubble only prevents effects that target a single creature.

How does Kybar's Echo interact with discarding effects?

Kybar's Echo is a replacement effect: when one of your Kybar's Teeth creatures would be discarded, it is instead returned to your hand and never enters the discard pile. This means it does not count as being 'discarded' for triggering other card effects, though it can still trigger return-to-hand effects like Motash's Staff.

Can Ullig create an infinite energy cycle using Kybar's Echo?

No, because Kybar's Echo replaces the discard with a return to hand, meaning the creature is never actually discarded. This prevents potential abuse that could lead to an infinite energy cycle with cards like Ullig.

Can Resonate be played in 'discard energy mode' while under Tranquility?

Yes, despite the MRP (Master Rulebook Principle) for Tranquility, Resonate can still be played in discard energy mode, even though it won't actually discard energy. This also means Spells like Thunderquake can be cast while under Tranquility's effect solely to discard energy from your Magi.

If paying the energy cost for a power leaves a creature with no energy, is the power still resolved even though the creature is discarded before the power takes effect?

The power still happens normally; if the power affects the now-discarded creature (such as a Xyx Minor trying to use Gathering Clouds on itself with only two energy), then the power will still happen, it just will not be able to show any result. If that same Xyx Minor spent all of its energy to use Gathering Clouds on a different Xyx, then the surviving Xyx would receive the four energy, regardless of the creature using the power being discarded.

When using Blygt's power in a multiplayer game, which opposing player gets to choose the creature discarded?

You choose one of your opponents to select the creature to be discarded. The opponent chooses the creature, but Blygt's power discards it. Therefore, abilities like Anti-Magic that prevent discarding cannot be used unless they prevent you (the owner/controller) from discarding the creature.

When something refers to "other" creatures, does that always mean "other than the creature that this is printed on"?

When a Creature specifies an 'other Creature' in the description of its Effect or Power, then it means any other Creature that qualifies for being affected by the Power or Effect except for the Creature it is printed on. The Power or Effect can affect other copies of that Creature in play, however, it just cannot specifically affect itself.

Can a Vogo choose itself?

Vogo's Interrupt Effect will not allow you to choose the Vogo if it is affected by the Spell or Power, nor will it let you redirect the Spell or Power to it.

Can a Spray Narth be put into play if there is only a single hurricane orish in play?

Spray Narth's Congregate would reduce the cost of the Narth to 0 if you had a Hurricane Orish, as it is both another Orothe and another Arderial Creature. Similarly, if you had one Spray Narth in play, you could play another at no cost, because, as stated before 'other' can refer to another copy of the same Creature in play.

If I am playing Mist Hyren with Bograth and have a Deadwood Staff in play, am I counting all creatures in play twice? And if my Magi is Emlob and I have played a Bog Stench, do those count twice as well?

Yes, if you use the Deadwood Staff's Calling while playing Mist Hyren, it would stack. Both Imaginary Friends and Bog Stench would count for the purposes of either Calling. So, if your Magi was Emlob and you had nothing in play except a Deadwood Staff and were under the effects of a Bog Stench, you could reduce the cost of Mist Hyren by ten energy (+3 Imaginary Friends, +2 Bog Stench, x2 for both Callings = 10).

When I unvail Rayje, do I choose one of his five powers or effects, and then each subsequent time I get that same one plus an additional one? And if someone using Gremm's Helmet copies Rayje, do they get all five?

Yes, each time you reveal Rayje, you choose one of his Powers or Effects. He is then considered to have not only that Power or Effect printed on him, but also all of the other Powers and Effects that your previous copies of Rayje had. Therefore, whenever someone uses Gremm's Helmet to copy him, their Magi will only get the Power(s) and/or Effect(s) that he has.

Can Rayje play core cards? Can he play relics that aren't universal, such as Inhibitor Band—wouldn't that make him useless?

Rayje follows all of the rules for Universal Magi and can only play Universal Relics as well as non-Core Creatures and Spells. He still pays regional penalties for any non-Universal Spells or Creatures that he plays.

Is Rayje legal for tournament play, or was it just a preview card?

Rayje will become legal when Nightmare's Dawn becomes legal for tournament play, April 19th, 2002.

If you have Tryn Flamesaver as your magi and use an Ash Hyren to reduce a 5-energy Weebo to its starting energy, does it become an 8-energy Weebo?

If you use Tryn's first Energy Substitution Power before using the Ash Hyren to restore the Weebo down to its starting energy, instead of discarding three energy from the Weebo, it would add three energy, because three energy would have been the amount to be discarded to return the Weebo to its starting.

If I have two Grass Etiki out, do my Paradwyn creatures get weave twice and my weave creatures get dream warp twice? Can I play Yajo at a starting energy of three and give Vine Hyren two points for its 'Dream Tap' power?

Yes, multiple Grass Etikis would stack; all of your Paradwyn Creatures could Weave additional energy, and your Weave Creatures could Dreamwarp for larger amounts (as long as it did not reduce their starting energy below one). Each time the Effect Dreamwarp is activated on one of your other Creatures, Vine Hyren gains one energy; if a Creature had multiple instances of Dreamwarp, each time you used it, the Hyren would gain one energy.

Can Barqua's Bubble protect one creature, all creatures, or no creatures from being discarded by a multi-target spell like Cataclysm, Thunderquake, or Tidal Wave?

If any of those spells affect more than one creature, the bubble can protect one creature but not more than one.

Can Barqua's Bubble save one creature, all creatures, or no creatures from being discarded by a multi-target spell like Tidal Wave or Cataclysm?

No; Barqua's Bubble can only protect one creature when an opponent plays a spell that would discard one or more of your creatures from play.

Do Anti-Magic or Deep Wellisk stop Cataclysm?

No, they do not stop Cataclysm, but they will not be discarded by it because Cataclysm specifically tries to discard them.

If my opponent uses M'Lady Iyori and all I have in play is a Deep Wellisk, can they force me to discard the Deep Wellisk?

No; since M'Lady Iyori's power attempts to discard a creature from play, any effect that prevents an opposing card from specifically discarding a creature from play still applies.

If Zannah and a Baby Furok are in play, and someone tries to kill the Baby Furok with a Thunderquake, which effect triggers first: Charm or Cuddly-Wuddly? Are both effects spent for the turn if one is used?

If your Magi is Zannah and the opponent attempts to discard energy only from Baby Furok during their turn, and this is the first time one of their cards discards energy, then both Cuddly-Wuddly and Charm are triggered. The player controlling Zannah chooses which effect happens first; once one effect resolves, the other is still considered used for the turn, even if it doesn't prevent any energy loss.

In a scenario with Baby Furok and Weebo in play, if an opponent uses Thunderquake on both creatures, can Zannah's Charm save the Weebo after the Baby Furok uses Cuddly-Wuddly to save itself?

No, Charm would not protect the Weebo. Although the Baby Furok saves itself using Cuddly-Wuddly, since Thunderquake is targeting both creatures and not discarding energy from only one creature (the Baby Furok), Charm does not trigger.

When you discard an opposing creature with Crushing Stench and play a Creature from your hand, do you still pay the energy to play it?

Whenever a card says to play unless it specifies that you pay all costs, it is assumed that you may play it ignoring all energy costs. In this case, you may play the Creature for free.

Who removes energy first if a Seaweed Lascinth attacks a Lascinth?

Both the Lascinth and the Seaweed Lascinth specify that they remove energy 'before Creatures normally remove energy'. Thus, they would remove energy from each other at the same time.

Does Equilibrate count as discarding energy for the purposes of Moob Ring?

Equilibrate does discard energy, and would trigger any card effect that is based on energy discard, including Moob Ring.

Can Zunng move energy from a Weave creature belonging to a Magi with a Weave Hut in play? If not, does it still gain one energy and the Weave creature lose none? What is "moving" energy as opposed to "discarding" or "adding"?

The term 'moving' is shorthand for "discard X energy from target A to add Y energy to target B". The Weave Creature loses nothing, but the Zunng still receives one energy.

Do Illusionary Creatures count as being in play when a Magi is checked for being defeated? Are they discarded if the Magi is defeated?

Illusionary Creatures do not count as being in play when determining whether a Magi has energy on the table, but they are still discarded from play as per the game rules for Magi defeat.

Can Wiep use his Power - Power Drain:(2) Choose any Power on an opposing creature. Move energy equal to the cost of the chosen Power from that creature to Wiep, on my Gorath, naming the cost of (x) as 8?

Enslavement has no cost associated with it; when you use it, you choose an energy total and discard that much from Gorath, then gain control of a Creature with energy less than what you just discarded. Power Drain would move nothing from Gorath. Furthermore, any X is treated as zero except in the context of playing the card or using the ability with the X cost.

If the Tomes are Cleansed, can Shadow Naroom play them despite the text 'only Naroom and Shadow Naroom may play Tomes'?

Yes, Shadow Naroom can still play the Tomes even if they are Cleansed, because the reminder text grants the ability to play the card specifically to Naroom and Shadow Naroom Magi. This is consistent with how abilities work on other cards like Crushing Roots, which also specifies 'only Naroom Magi and Naroom Shadow Magi may play' it, allowing Shadow Naroom to play it even when Cleansed. Similarly, if a Core or Bograth card were Cleansed to Underneath, only Core and Bograth Magi could play it—Underneath Magi would not be able to play the Cleansed card due to the specific restriction.

If you cleanse a dual region card, does the entire card become underneath (or Kybar's Teeth), or does cleansing just affect the Core half?

Because Cleansing says 'instead of Core', then only the Core half of a dual-region card would be replaced.

If my opponent has played a Corrupt first turn, and on my turn I have no creatures, can I play a Quido Swarm for 0 energy to get rid of the Corrupt?

Quido Swarm may be played with no creatures on the table; it will immediately discard itself for having no energy. This would trigger a Corrupt, forcing it to be discarded from play, and the Quido Swarm would become your opponent's Core Creature for the split second it was in play. Any other come into play effects (Strengthen, Dream Barrier) could still be used as well.

Can Naroom Shadow play Crushing Roots without entombing first?

Yes, Naroom Shadow can play Crushing Roots without entombing first, as the Crushing cards are not dual region and are not restricted to Shadow Magi unless specified by their individual effects.

Does Barqua's Bubble protect a single creature from a spell or power with multiple targets?

Yes, Barqua's Bubble can protect a single creature from a Spell or Power with multiple targets. This is now the official ruling, reversing a previous decision. For example, if Thunderquake is split to discard 4, 3, and 3 among three creatures, the energy discard to one of those creatures can be prevented using Barqua's Bubble.

What happens when Tomes of the Great Library are Cleansed?

If Tomes of the Great Library are Cleansed, only Magi who can play Underneath or Kybar's Teeth Relics (depending on what it was Cleansed to) may play it. However, it will be discarded immediately if the Magi is not Naroom or Naroom Shadow.

Do the additional cards drawn to reach a hand size of five at the beginning of the game count as 'drawing' cards for the purposes of in-game effects?

The cards that a player draws to get a hand of five at the beginning of their first turn do not count as drawing cards for the purposes of in-game effects. For instance, if a player started with Marella as their first Magi, they would still receive any one Weave Creature and then draw four cards, as well as drawing one card at the end of her turn. Similarly, if there were some way to give a player who has not started their turn a Creature, and you had a Darkbreed's Minion in play, their Creature would not lose energy from Smolder. In your example, the Mydra Swarm would only stop them from drawing cards with card effects and the two cards at the end of their first turn.

Can a spell be played for zero mana cost to trigger effects that depend on discarding energy, even if no actual energy is discarded?

It is legal to play a card with an X cost where X equals 0, whether by choice or due to game effects. However, discarding zero energy does not count as an actual energy discard for triggering effects that require an amount of energy to be discarded. Since 'zero' means 'lacking an amount,' it does not satisfy conditions requiring a non-zero energy discard. This is why playing a spell like Quido Swarm for zero mana to remove Corrupt is allowed, but using such a play to trigger effects based on discarding energy (e.g., Charm) is not valid.

Does the last sentence of Ritual Spear's effect mean that each Magi can be returned to play one time each, or that only one Magi total may be returned to play once per game?

You may only choose one of your Magi in your defeated Magi stack to be returned by Ritual Spear once per game. If that Magi is defeated a second time, they cannot be brought back a third.

When using Core Spell - Crushing Darkness to bring back a discarded Creature, does the returned Creature come into play under my control or the original owner's control?

The returned Creature comes into play under your control, as the card is instructing you to play it. Cards enter play under the control of whoever played them, regardless of ownership.

Does Ritual Spear set off Wessig's Effect?

Yes, Wessig's Effect would be triggered by Change of Heart, as Change of Heart defeats her, and her defeat triggers her Effect, discarding all non-Kybar's Teeth cards from play.

Does Rayjes Sword give all damaging spells and powers the ability to go through Shadow Cloak, allowing them to affect creatures protected by Shadow Cloak, including unalterable energy losses like those from Nala's Jiles, Wellisks, and Barls for Orlon?

If a card discards energy, and there are other effects in play that prevent any form of energy discard prevention, then the energy discard will happen even if the target creature could normally not be affected by anything; however, other effects of the card will still be prevented. For example, if a Koil protected by Shadow Cloak takes damage from Firefly Swarm while Rayje's Sword is in play, the Koil loses two energy but remains protected from the secondary effect of Firefly Swarm and can still attack on your next turn.

Does Olabra's Effect Resilience protect creatures from being reduced below one energy by opposing spells and powers such as Nalo's Hurricane, or does it only return them to one energy after damage is applied?

Resilience prevents any excess energy discard that would reduce Olabra's creatures below one energy. If the energy removal cannot be prevented, Resilience has no effect. It stops the reduction from going below one energy but does not retroactively restore energy; it functions as a protective threshold.

When using Tomes of the Great Library to play a spell that normally remains in play or attaches to a creature or Magi, what happens to the spell after it resolves—does it go directly to the discard pile or get shuffled into the opponent's deck?

Treat Power Research as if it said: 'When that Spell leaves play, if that Spell came from your deck, discard it. If it came from an opposing discard pile, shuffle it into its owner's deck.' This was the intended effect of Research.

Does pyromancy add to the X value of Syphon Vortex for the purpose of gaining energy back on my Magi?

Pyromancy only increases the amount of energy discarded; Syphon Vortex's 'move' is shorthand for 'discard X energy from an opposing Creature and add X energy to your Magi'. Pyromancy does not increase X, it changes the amount of energy discarded to X+1. Therefore, your Magi gains X energy, not X+1.

Where exactly does the extra point from pyromancy come from in terms of source?

The added energy discard by the Effect increases the energy discarded by the Spell, and this additional discard is considered part of the spell's damage effect.

If a creature has burrow and takes damage from a spell enhanced by pyromancy, how much damage does it take?

Burrow still prevents excess damage beyond two points. So even if the total damage would be higher due to pyromancy, the creature only takes up to two points of damage.

Example: I have Valkan as my Magi and a Scroll of Fire in play. My opponent has a Pylofuf with 5 energy. I cast Fire Ball at it, dealing 5 damage (Valkan's +2, Scroll adds +1). Does the Pylofuf take 2 or 5 damage?

The Pylofuf takes 2 points of damage due to Burrow, regardless of the spell’s total damage. The extra damage from pyromancy is part of the effect but does not override Burrow's protection.

Would Makoor's Power 'Onslaught' discard the pseudo creatures created by Bog Stench and Emlob's Imaginary Friends, dealing 2 x 3 damage for Bog Stench or 3 x 3 damage for Emlob's Imaginary Friends?

Bog Stench and Imaginary Friends do not create 'pseudo-Creatures'; they increase the effects of cards that count your Bograth Creatures or just your Creatures in play by letting you 'count as' having that many additional Bograth Creatures in play. However, you must have actual creatures to discard with Onslaught. Similarly, Darkness would not allow you to discard imaginary creatures.

If My Magi is Bo'Asha and I have in play a Yajo, Weave Hyren, and Chasm Jile, and my opponent attacks the Yajo but I use Weave Tactics to change the target to Chasm Jile, can I still use Weave from Yajo since it was attacked?

When the Yajo is attacked, its Weave ability triggers and may transfer one energy to or from another Weave Creature in play. However, when the Yajo is swapped with the Chasm Jile, the Chasm Jile does not have Weave, so no energy can be transferred. That said, if the new defender has Weave, then Weave would trigger on that creature as well. Additionally, any other effects triggered by a creature being attacked (such as Speag) will trigger both times—once for the original attack and once when the new target is attacked.

If I discard Chasm Jile to play Grass Hyren from my hand, can I use Weave from Grass Hyren?

Yes, when you discard the Chasm Jile and play the Grass Hyren, the Grass Hyren replaces the Chasm Jile in the attack. Because the Grass Hyren is now being attacked, any abilities triggered by a creature being attacked—such as its own Weave ability or effects like Speag—are triggered again.

When Emlomb uses the spell Darkness, do his three imaginary creatures get its power?

As stated in the above question, the pseudo-Creatures are not real, and could not be used for Darkness.

If a Magi has Universal Cards in play, do they count as being out of region for the purpose of gaining energy from Nightmare's Dawn?

With Nightmare's Dawn, Universal cards, unless the Magi were Universal, would be out of region for them, and they would not gain the energy.

If Eidon has Staff of Keepers in play and plays Baby Furok (a Naroom/Weave creature), does Baby Furok gain 1 energy from the Staff of Keepers?

As Baby Furok fits the qualification of being a Weave Creature, and Eidon is a Keeper, the Furok would gain one energy.

When Inhibitor's Band is in play, does Tomorrow's Jewels stay in play if it is returned to the opponent's hand?

Returning a card to hand is very different from discarding it from play; the Jewel would bounce to the opponent's hand. If the Jewel were discarded from your hand while there was an Inhibitor Band in play, you could not play the Jewel, and it would be discarded.

What happens when Undertow of a Weed Hyren discards the Hyren?

Though awkwardly worded, Withdraw is a replacement effect, similar to the one discussed in the previous rules digest with Kybar's Echo. As such, when Undertow discards the Hyren, it returns to its owner's hand. When a card leaves a public area, all unresolved, in play effects of cards targeting it do nothing. Since the Hyren is now in hand and no longer around to be shuffled into your deck, the second part of Undertow fizzles.

Is Edion still considered the keeper of naroom for the purpose of Staff of Keepers?

Storyline occurrences do not affect previously printed cards, only MRPs to the cards do. Eidon still counts as a Keeper within the context of Magi-Nation: DUEL.

Can I use Forest Jile's ability to add 2 energy to each of my creatures that attacked, even though Forest Jile was not in play when they attacked? Similarly, can I use Corf's power on a creature that attacked, if Corf wasn't in play at the time?

Yes; the Forest Jile or Corf does not need to be in play for your other creatures (or opposing creatures) to remember that they were involved in combat that turn. As long as they are the same creature that attacked or was attacked, and have not left the playing field and then returned somehow, they 'know' what happened.

If my opponent uses a power on one of their creatures, can I play K'teeb Thumper on my turn and thump that creature, even though K'teeb Thumper wasn't in play when the power was used?

Yes; in fact, this is strategically sound as a 'surprise'. Similarly, you may play a Pody and Backhand a creature that attacked you on the opponent's last turn.

Can someone please explain Dreamwarp, both using it on opposing players and yourself? What is the advantage, and what happens at the end of the turn?

Dreamwarp lets you temporarily raise or lower the starting energy of a Creature by a set amount, stated in the description of the Dreamwarp Effect, as the Creature is being played. The new, altered starting energy cannot be less than one, or greater than the amount of energy the Magi trying to play the Creature has. All changes made to a Creature's starting energy total by Dreamwarp go away at the end of the turn in which the Creature was played. Essentially, Dreamwarp lets you play the Creature either a little smaller than usual or a little larger than usual, depending on what you want to spend.

Does Flame Trulb count itself when determining the number of Bograth or Cald creatures in play for its Familiarity effect?

Yes, Flame Trulb counts itself; its effect does not trigger until it is actually in play, and Familiarity does not specify 'other' Bograth and Cald creatures in play. Therefore, Flame Trulb will always gain at least one energy under normal circumstances, since there will be at least one Bograth and one Cald creature in play. If it were not one of the two regions (such as Ruid mutating it to Cald/Core) and no other Bograth creatures were in play, it would gain zero energy, as zero is the lesser amount.

Can Yerthe play a Tar Hyren using his Hyren Affinity power, despite the Tar Hyren's restriction that only Bograth/Core Magi can play it?

Yerthe could only play Tar Hyren if he were a Bograth or Core Magi, even with his Hyren Affinity. If he were Possessed by Nagsis, he would be able to then, but normally, he could not.

If I have Ruid in play when I play the Flame Trulb and decide to turn it Core, is it a Core creature or a Cald/Core creature? How does this affect the energy gained from its effect?

Mutate would change only the Bograth half of the Flame Trulb; the Creature would be Cald/Core.

As an Arderial Magi using Heart of the Sky to search through my opponent's deck, can I play Crushing Fungus despite it stating it cannot be played by non-Underneath Magi?

If your Magi is not Underneath or Underneath Shadow, you could not play Crushing Fungus with Hand or Heart of the Sky.

Can I satisfy the seven Bograth AND Core Creature requirement for Zungg Swarm if I have 3 Zunggs, 3 Gwaegs, and 1 Tar Hyren in play?

Yes, a multi-region creature counts as a single creature of each region for the purposes of card effects; therefore, seven multi-region Core/Bograth creatures would satisfy the requirements of Zungg Swarm.

Do the effects of Grand Epik's Mind Feast and Kybars/Underneath Creature Akkar stack when affecting my magi's energize rate?

Yes, the effects stack because they are described as direct additions or subtractions to the actual energize rate. Grand Epik's Mind Feast reduces your magi's energize by two, and Akkar's Rolling Thunder increases it by two when your opponent has more creatures out than you. If both effects apply simultaneously, they can increase or decrease the energize rate by up to six or more points depending on how many copies are in play. However, if multiple cards grant 'ENERGIZE:1', the result is still only ENERGIZE:1 unless the card already had a higher energize rate, as cards always use their highest energize rate.

Can I use Firestorm's ability to remove 2 energy from an Arbollit with only 1 energy to add 3 to another creature?

No, because Firestorm requires discarding two energy from the chosen creature, and you cannot do so if the creature has fewer than two energy. The ability fails entirely if this condition is not met.

If you Phrup a spell, did the spell go off or was it interrupted and just not played at all? For things like Hurricane Orish and such.

The Spell or Relic is still played, but it is returned to the owner's hand with no effect. It will still trigger any effects of the Time Lapsed card entering play, such as Hurricane Orish's Effect.

What happens if I use Ritual Spear when it's my last Magi?

All parts of a Spell, Power, or Effect resolve before you check to see if Magi are defeated. Change of Heart will have an opportunity to resolve fully before the game is declared a loss for the player using Ritual Spear.

If I have a Hurricane Orish in play with Voice of the Storm, and I play another Hurricane Orish, does it come in for two less energy?

The Hurricane Orish in play, being both Orothe and Arderial, will decrease the cost of your Arderial and your Orothe Creatures played. When you play another Hurricane Orish, because it is an Orothe Creature, it will cost one less, and because it is an Arderial Creature, it will cost an additional one less, therefore, the end result is that it costs two less energy to play.

If I have a Karak Necklace in play with Arosa and I use Shell Game, do I draw cards from the Karak Necklace at the end of my turn AND at the end of my opponent's turn (assuming the creature I gave them is still in play)?

Two for Me will trigger both when you first gain control of another player's card from Shell Game, then, if it survived for you to get it back, when you regain control of your Creature.

If you have 2 Jiles in play, do they energize for 2 each or 1 each?

As Jile grants "ENERGIZE: 1", they will not stack; both Jiles will end up with two copies of "ENERGIZE: 1", and the lone, greater rate (or tie for greatest) will be used.

If I have a Grim Goblet in play and use Rayje's Belt lockdown to cancel the backlash effect to prevent my hand from discarding, and then Beam of Light is used to discard both relics at the same time, do I have to discard my hand because the lockdown power loses its effect or not? And what about if I have an Abranix Crown in my hand—will it take effect or not?

Lockdown will end when the Belt leaves play; similarly, any continuous effects of a Power do not end until the card(s) targeted by Beam of Light are successfully discarded from play. The Grim Goblet has also already been discarded, and you will not suffer the Backlash. If you do suffer from Backlash and are forced to discard an Abraxin's Crown, its discard effect will not trigger; it must be discarded from your hand by an opposing card to do so, even if an opposing card forced you to discard the Goblet and triggered Backlash.

If I have a Rayjes sword and a 15 energy wudge attacking an Elder Yark, how much damage does my wudge do?

Your 15 energy Wudge would only remove one energy if an Elder Yark were present because Rayje's Sword does not go into effect; any card that causes a creature to remove its starting energy instead of its current energy during an attack is not considered to be preventing energy loss.

How does Cataclysm interact with Collosus, Barqua's Bubble, and legendary relics that can't be discarded?

Anti-Magic protects the Collosus from being discarded by an opposing Cataclysm. Barqua's Bubble can save a Creature from being discarded by Cataclysm. Legendary Relics that cannot be discarded are protected from being discarded by an opposing Cataclysm due to their unnamed effects.

Can Sandswirl be used on a Magi, preventing him/her from using powers and effects on relics?

Sandswirl prevents a Magi from using the Powers or Effects printed on the Magi, not Powers or Effects printed on Relics they control.

What happens when you have more than one Pyder in play?

Each time you play a new Pyder, you transfer all but one energy your Magi currently has to it. Whenever you play a Creature, each Pyder's Summoning will trigger. As the active player, you choose the order they resolve in. You must choose a Pyder that has enough energy to play the Creature to resolve first, or you cannot play the Creature. The rest of your Pyder's Summonings will resolve, and you will discard energy from them equal to how much energy is necessary to pay the cost of the Creature played, which is now zero. When your Magi energizes, all of your Pyders' Leaderships will trigger. You choose which resolves first, and that Pyder receives all of the extra energy beyond one of the Magi. The rest of your Pyders will receive zero energy, since your Magi does not have any amount over one any longer.

Can Swamp Weebo choose less than X Creatures? Could you choose the same Creature more than once in order to avoid killing your own Creatures?

Swamp Weebo must discard X energy from X different Creatures.

If Blygt wakes up three creatures using Power - Waking Dreams, and Corrupt is in play, how does the interaction work? Does the Core player choose which creature to discard, which one to steal, and which one to let remain, or can Bograth choose which one the Core player gets?

The player using Waking Dreams chooses which of the three creatures is affected by Corrupt. The other two creatures enter play normally, and an opponent of the Bograth player's choice discards one of the three creatures from play.

When using Tomes of the Great Library's Power - Research to search a discard pile for a Spell and play it, do I have to pay all costs for that Spell?

Yes, you must pay all costs for the spell; otherwise, there would be a note indicating that certain costs are reduced or zero.

Can Beam of Light (BoL) discard a creature or relic with 2 or less energy on it even if the card cannot normally be discarded due to an effect or power on the card itself?

No; the text on cards happens in the order that the text is written, unless the card itself states an exception. Beam of Light cannot discard anything that cannot be specifically discarded from play, and if a card cannot be discarded by it, then the secondary effect of cancelling the ongoing Powers and Effects of the card will not work for that card.

When Sheath says it prevents a creature from using an effect, does it shut off effects like "Burrow"? Or does this simply mean one-time use effects?

Sheath prevents the Creature it is printed on from using any Effects that are part of its own abilities. If a Creature such as Pylofuf is Sheathed, then it loses the ability to use Burrow, and its burrow status is removed since it is granted by an Effect on the Creature. However, if a Creature like Korrit has had a nine-turn Burrow Spell cast on it, Sheathing it does not remove its burrowed status because the Burrow effect comes from a separate spell, not from the Creature's own Effects. Similarly, if a Tunnel Hyren is Sheathed, its Burrow ability stops, but an Underneath Creature that becomes Sheathed while a Tunnel Hyren is in play will still retain its burrowed benefit as long as the Hyren remains in play and can use its Effect.

Can I choose the same Power or Effect multiple times when revealing Rayje, and does he gain four Powers and/or Effects in his third form due to the wording of his ability?

No, Rayje was not intended to function that way. He can only gain one copy of any Power or Effect, regardless of how many copies of himself are in play. While the original wording could be interpreted as allowing multiple copies, the intended and fairer interpretation is that he gains one copy of each Power or Effect by name only. For clarity, treat Rayje as if he has the following addition: 'Each time Rayje is revealed, he may not gain more than one copy of any Power or Effect.'

Can Cald Magi summon the Darkbreed's Minion for 7 or do they pay 8 (core; out of region) even though it is an alternate Ash Hyren?

Yes, Cald Magi must still pay the regional penalty to play the Darkbreed's minion, just as a Naroom Magi would be forced to pay a penalty for a Dark Furok or Chaos Plith.

What are the five disputed rules from last weekend's games that need to be clarified before the storyline proceeds?

The specific scenarios involving rule disputes from last weekend's non-tournament games have not been detailed in this message. To address each dispute, a breakdown of each scenario is required for proper ruling determination.

If I have a Pylofuf in play with 7 energy, and it is attacked by an opposing Shielded Parmalag with 2 energy on it with a 4 energy Giant Korrit joining in the attack, what amount of energy is removed from the Pylofuf? Does the Pack Hunt Effect remove extra damage from the Pylofuf, or does the Effect Enable an Attack which does not allow for more than 2 energy to be removed this turn?

The Pylofuf takes 4 energy damage. The Pack Hunt effect allows multiple attackers to attack together, but it doesn't limit total damage taken—only that each attacker can only deal up to 2 energy of damage per turn unless otherwise specified. Since the Giant Korrit has 4 energy and is attacking, it deals its full 4 energy in damage. The Shielded Parmalag contributes 2 energy, but the Pylofuf’s ability does not reduce damage from multiple attackers. Therefore, a total of 6 energy is dealt (2 from the Parmalag + 4 from the Giant Korrit), and since Pylofuf has 7 energy, it loses 6 energy. The Pack Hunt effect enables the combined attack but does not restrict the total damage or reduce extra damage beyond what’s specified.

My opponent has Emlob as his Magi with one energy and no creatures in play. He casts Trulb Horde, bringing his Magi to 0 energy, but as the spell resolves, a 1 Energy creature is coming into play. Is Emlob defeated before the creature comes into play since he has no energy and no creatures, or is the Magi not checked for defeat until after any given spell resolves?

Emlob is not defeated before the creature comes into play. The Magi is only checked for defeat after a spell fully resolves. Since Trulb Horde's effect causes a 1 Energy creature to enter play as part of resolving, Emlob remains in play because the creature enters before any check for defeat occurs.

If a Bograth Magi casts Crushing Stench or a Core Magi casts Crushing Darkness to discard a creature and bring something into play, does the Magi get defeated as the spell resolves, or stay in play because a creature is coming into play after resolution? And if the answer is no, would Emlob be able to use this effect while the spell is resolving since he is considered to have 3 extra Bograth creatures at that time?

The Magi does not get defeated during the resolution of the spell. The condition for defeat occurs only when the spell finishes resolving and there are no creatures in play. Since a creature is brought into play after the spell resolves, the Magi remains in play. Emlob would also be able to use this effect while the spell is resolving because he is considered to have 3 extra Bograth creatures at that time, satisfying any relevant conditions.

If my Colossus in play has 2 energy and my opponent casts Turn on it, does the Colossus get restored to its starting energy when it returns to me?

No, the Colossus does not return to its starting energy. When Turn is cast on a creature, it changes control but retains all of its current state, including energy, damage, and any other effects applied to it. The Colossus will retain its 2 energy when it returns to you.

Exactly how long does Theft take a relic for?

Theft gives Morag control of a Relic for his next X turns; if he spent three energy, he would have the Relic this turn and his next three.

If I have Rayje's Cloak out and my opponent plays Crushing Heat and discards one of my creatures, does the cloak still allow my creatures and magi to use their powers and effects?

Crushing Heat will stop your Magi from being able to use the Effect on Rayje's Cloak that protects you from Lockdown style effects. Because of this, your Magi would then be unable to use Powers or Effects on them or their other Relics in play.

If my opponent has played Crushing Heat and discarded one of my creatures, can I play Beam of Light to cancel the effect of the Crushing Heat?

Beam of Light can only be used to discard a Spell card that stays in play; it can do nothing to stop ongoing effects of Spells that leave play.

Can I use Beam of Light to cancel Cleansing?

See the above ruling; just as Beam of Light cannot remove the effects of Entomb, neither can it do so to Cleansing.

Kalius: If you use Abwyn's Quill on Wind Spawn to change it to Core, can you play any one Core creature from your hand?

Overwriting Wind Spawn does not simply allow Kalius to play Core Creatures; it would have to say "play a Core Creature ignoring regional restrictions" if that were the case. Overwriting Wind Spawn to Core means that Kalius can only play a Core Creature that Arderial Magi could play, such as Dark Ayebaw, Shryque, Harban, etc.

Focus: Does Focus prevent playing cards from your hand and also using abilities on cards already in play? Can O'Qua still Conjure? Could an Ergar spark? Or a Dream Balm in play Vitalize a creature after it attacks?

You cannot play cards; this includes using Powers on your cards that put other cards into play. If you attempted to Conjure, you would search your deck, then shuffle it, without putting anything into play. Using an ability on a card is wholly unrelated to playing the card; if the card is in play to use a Power or Effect, then it has already gone through the procedure of being played and Focus does not stop you from using it in any way.

Bria: Can Bria choose Core with Obsession, and take two Core starting relics? The card says ANY one region... no?

She may choose Core, and then be able to play Core Relics. Also, she is not restricted to taking Relics of the region she names; she may name Core and take two Orothe Relics, etc., as long as the Relics are non-Universal.

With Bria and fetching her starting cards, do I specify a region first and then get the relics of the region I specified, or do I have to look in the discard pile first and if I have a non-universal relic in there, I MUST fetch relics of that specific region?

As with any other 'any' starting card specification, you must search the discard pile first for any cards that fit the 'any' specification. For example, if you would like to fetch her two Secrets of the Book but had a Hubdra's Spear in your discard pile, she would have to take it and another Orothe Relic, either from the discard pile or, if another is not there, from your deck. If there is no second Orothe Relic, then you cannot retrieve that starting card.

If Tryn uses Syphon Vortex on one of her creatures, that creature gains X energy instead of losing X energy, while it only costs her 4? If she has a large amount of energy, can she choose a very high value for X to significantly boost the creature's energy for just a cost of 4?

No. Due to changes made during playtesting, Syphon Vortex no longer allows cards to add energy to Tryn. If she uses Syphon Vortex, she spends X + 4 energy and gains nothing back; her Energy Substitution effect converts the discarded energy into gained energy, but this does not apply in a way that enables infinite or excessive energy gain. The ability to channel all energy into a substituted Syphon Vortex and then use Updraft to create an extreme energy advantage was one of the reasons this change was implemented.

Can I use Warrada in a deck with The Dark Twins, since the DT only count as an Alternate Hrada?

The Dark Twins are only an alternate Hrada; as shown in the fictions, they fight together, but Warrada plays a more supportive role, letting her brother take the force of the fight, so that even if he falls with her help, she can step in at full power and sweep up their weakened foes. Because the Twins are only an alternate Hrada, and Warrada is not mentioned in the name of the card, she can be played with them.

If I CAN'T use Warrada with The Dark Twins, does that mean the Twins also count as an Alternate Warrada even if it's not printed on the card? Could I then grab all Warrada's Starting Cards with my Dark Twins?

The Dark Twins are only an alternate Hrada; as shown in the fictions, they fight together, but Warrada plays a more supportive role, letting her brother take the force of the fight, so that even if he falls with her help, she can step in at full power and sweep up their weakened foes. Because the Twins are only an alternate Hrada, and Warrada is not mentioned in the name of the card, she can be played with them.

Can I play Korg or Zet with KORG&ZET(6/11)?

Korg or Zet cannot be played with Korg & Zet; it has been ruled that you cannot have more than one Magi with the same name in a deck. Korg & Zet are, technically speaking, an Alternate Korg/Alternate Zet because of this ruling, and because of that cannot be played with Korg or Zet. Additionally, All-High King Korg is technically an Alternate Korg.

If Korg or All-High King Korg are in any defeated Magi pile, does Good Riddance trigger?

If Korg or All-High King Korg are in any defeated Magi pile, either of them trigger Good Riddance.

Does playing a card using an effect like 'Tomorrow's Jewel' or 'Gia's Unearth Power' require paying the card's costs, especially when the card text says 'play' without mentioning cost payment?

From now on, cards will explicitly state whether you pay the costs when they enter play through alternate means. The Tomes were an oversight due to insufficient playtesting revisions; their wording did not align with current templating standards. Until corrected in future printings, treat rulings like 'Tomorrow's Jewel' and similar effects as clarifications: you do not pay costs when playing via such alternate entry methods.

Can Ayebaw gain 2 energy from the Storm Ring for attacking twice? Or if Yaki attacks with Lava Balamant, will they gain 2 energy or not?

Each time a Creature begins a new attack, under normal circumstances, all effects triggered by it attacking happen again. The Storm Ring would add one energy each time Ayebaw attacked, as Charge adds one energy to the Balamant each time it attacks.

If I have a Magi with no energy and I have a Quido Swarm in play, when my turn begins the Quido Swarm will die since it's the only creature. So will my Magi be defeated or not?

Quido Swarm restores itself to a starting energy of zero and is discarded from play at the beginning of the turn, before the energize step can begin; the Magi is defeated, but your next Magi is not revealed until your next turn.

Eryss's effect Discordia: Once per turn, when an opposing Magi plays a non-Universal Creature not of their Magi's region, you may choose and discard one of that Magi's Creatures from play. Since Ormagon can discard Kybar/Underneath creatures and Wessig's Landslide can't discard a Kybar/Underneath creature either, I guess Eryss can't discard a creature if (for example) Gar plays a Flame Rudwot, right? Flame Rudwot is and is not from the Magi's region.

An Ormagon will not discard a multi-region Underneath Creature. Additionally, for a Creature to qualify as being not of their Magi's region, then none of its regions can match the Magi. If at least one of the regions matches, the Creature is considered to be from the same region as their Magi.

Can my opponent attempt to summon a creature they don't have enough energy for, in hopes that I will warp it down to an affordable cost using Jungle Hyren?

No, your opponent cannot attempt to play a card in the hopes that something in play will allow them to play it. Just as an Arderial Magi could not play Crushing Heat and then Overwrite Cald to Arderial, another player could not play a creature that is too costly if they are relying on someone else to warp it down to an affordable range.

I target a Treepsh with a Crushing X spell. The Treepsh pops itself to cancel its own energy loss. Do the secondary effects of the Crushing X spell still occur?

No, the secondary effects of the Crushing Spell will not happen because the Treepsh being discarded from play was not a direct result of the Crushing card discarding its energy.

I am playing Paradwyn with Bazha's Pendant in play, which lets me use powers in response to an opponent playing powers, spells, or relics. My opponent casts a Crushing X spell on my Lahalou, which is at 4E. Can I use Lahalou's power to grow by one before the resolution of the spell so that it will survive?

No, the Spell or Power will resolve before you can activate the Pendant's effect; 'after' the opponent uses a Spell or Power means when it has successfully resolved. The Lahalou would be discarded before it could use its power.

Does the sword get past the Moob Ring and Treepsh effect? Does 'the spell, power, or effect does nothing' mean that your creatures aren't affected by the spell, power, or effect? Or do the Moob Ring and Treepsh act like a counterspell or wellisk?

The phrase "the Spell, Power, or Effect does nothing" is another way of saying "prevent all results of the Spell, Power, or Effect." Piercing will still allow any energy discard to happen, because that cannot be prevented while it is in effect.

If a creature has multiple regions, such as Weave/Naroom, and a spell affects all non-Weave creatures, does the creature's Weave region protect it, or is it affected because of its Naroom region?

A creature with multiple regions is considered to be a creature of every region listed. Therefore, if a card affects all non-Weave creatures, a Weave/Naroom creature is unaffected because it is a Weave creature—having one region that matches Weave means it does not qualify as 'non-Weave.' The term 'non-Weave' refers to creatures that lack the Weave region entirely.

If a Zannah's creature is stalked and then attacked, does the damage from stalking get negated by burrowing or other effects, and how does the source of the damage affect this?

When Zannah's Charm has not been activated previously and one of her stalked creatures is attacked, the one energy lost to stalking is prevented by Charm. The damage from stalking comes from a rule (not a spell, power, or effect), so it bypasses effects like burrowing. However, since the source of the damage is the attacking creature, any abilities that negate damage based on source will apply—meaning if the attacker has an ability that negates damage from its own attacks, it could prevent this damage.

Can you cleanse Crushing Darkness and have a Non-Core, Non-Shadow Magi cast it?

Yes, as ruled in a previous digest, cleansing Crushing Darkness opens it up to every non-Core, non-Shadow Magi to play. Similarly, any non-Core Magi with a Mantle of Shadows (barring restrictions such as Kesia's) could play it.

Does the word "Immediately" in Wellisk's effect mean it resolves before any other effects, or does it work like standard triggered effects?

The word "immediately" means you must choose to use Dream Barrier as soon as possible, before the opponent can perform any other non-triggered actions on their turn, but after the Creature is successfully played; any other Effects triggered simultaneously do 'stack' alongside it and resolve normally. Wellisk uses the wording 'immediately after' instead of 'as another Creature is played' so that the Creature played will get an opportunity to enter play and trigger any related Effects, as well as trigger similar Effects for leaving play. For example, if the opponent has a Wudge in play and you have a Wellisk, and they spend five energy to play a Chaos Plith, when Chaos Plith enters play, both Strengthen and Dream Barrier are triggered; Strengthen resolves first because the opponent is the active player, giving Wudge +1 energy, and then you choose whether or not to discard the Wellisk and use the rest of Dream Barrier's effect to discard the Chaos Plith from play. If the opponent had a Corrupted Sphor taken from you, the Chaos Plith being discarded by Dream Barrier would also trigger Scavenge. The word 'immediately' serves no functional purpose other than to emphasize that you must decide whether or not to use the rest of Dream Barrier then, before anything else aside from a simultaneously triggered Effect can be played/used.

If a Keeper Magi using the Staff of Keepers summons a dream creature from a region that matches the named region, does the dream creature gain one energy bonus?

Yes, if one of the creature's regions matches the region named with the Staff of Keepers and the magi playing the creature is a keeper, then the creature gains one energy bonus.

If Ullig has zero energy and her last creature in play is returned to hand by Alaban's Undream power, does she gain 4 energy or is she instantly defeated?

Ullig will not gain 4 energy in this case because the creature did not leave play through a discard mechanic. She would be instantly defeated if she has no energy and no Dewstone in play, as returning a creature to hand does not trigger Fearless. The ability only activates when a creature is discarded from play by a discard effect or reduced to zero energy and removed from play.

If using a Power on a Creature depletes its energy, does the Power still work?

Yes, the Power still works normally. If the Power affects the creature after it has been discarded due to depleted energy (such as Xyx Minor using Gathering Clouds on itself with only two energy), the effect still occurs, though it cannot produce any visible result. For example, if a Xyx Minor spends all its energy to use Gathering Clouds on another Xyx, the surviving Xyx will receive four energy regardless of the original creature being discarded.

With Siphon Vortex, do you gain the energy that is removed from the target Creature, or does it depend on damage dealt?

Siphon Vortex's most recent wording states 'move X energy from an opposing Creature to your Magi'. This is a move/transfer effect where both discarding the energy and gaining it are dependent on each other. If the energy loss is prevented (e.g., by Fird Stone), then no energy is gained. Similarly, if the amount of discarded energy changes due to effects like Scroll of Fire, the same amount is added to your Magi.

Can you use Bloom and Bahza's Pendant multiple times in response to a single triggering event?

Yes, as long as all conditions are met, you may activate any number of applicable cards. When an opponent plays a Spell or Power, you can activate not only one copy of Bahza's Pendant but also play every Bloom in hand that qualifies. This creates a chain of reactions—similarly, playing a Creature triggers each Reef Hyren's Rebuke in play, allowing multiple uses as long as the triggering conditions are satisfied.

When does Stalking damage occur relative to other effects like Weave?

Both Stalking and Weave are triggered by a creature being attacked. The active player’s effects resolve first. Therefore, if you attack during your turn, Weave resolves before Stalking, allowing the creature to transfer energy before losing it. However, if you attack an opponent's creature on their turn, they are the active player, so their Weave effect would resolve first (if applicable), followed by the Stalking damage.

If I have 3 Shadow Geysers in play with Awakening and someone uses Battle of Loyalty (BoL) on my Awakening, will one Shadow Geyser return to play because of Awakening?

The Awakening has to be in play when the geyser leaves play for it to 'catch' the geyser; with BoL they leave play simultaneously, so there is nothing to protect the geyser when it goes.

Can I use the same power twice in a single turn, once with a Bloom and once with a Pendant, even though the power can be used out of turn?

Correct; the ability to use a Power out of turn does not override the rule that you may use it only once per turn unless the card specifically says so.

If I use Blygt's Waking Dreams and bring back two N'Kalas from my discard pile, can I use Dreamwarp to give each of them up to two energy without spending any energy from my magi?

You may use Dreamwarp to increase or decrease the starting energy value of the N'Kala creatures until the end of the turn, but they will still only have one energy because Waking Dreams specifically states that the creatures played by it have one energy instead of their normal starting energy. Additionally, Waking Dreams requires you to choose three different creatures, so you cannot select two N'Kalas.

How can I request an in-depth explanation of a specific card or game mechanic?

Email the Rules Team privately at thelawofsteel@... with your request, and the most requested or difficult card or mechanic will be selected each week for a detailed write-up.

If you use Waking Dreams and they choose Green Stuff and some other creature, does Green Stuff come into play with two energy instead of one?

Waking Dreams will put Green Stuff into play with one energy; when it enters play, Ooze adds one energy to it, resulting in two energy instead of one.

Does Tryn Flame-Saver's effect 'Energy Substitution' kick in when a creature of hers has to pay a cost for a power? For example, if Tryn Flame-Saver is my mage and I have a Greater Vaal out, does the Greater Vaal gain 5E rather than lose 5E if it uses its power 'Immolate'?

When you pay a cost, you remove energy counters to pay the cost from the Creature or Magi required to do so; this energy removal is not energy discard, and is not affected by card effects that are related to energy discard.

Can someone explain the second regions on Nightmare's Dawn cards?

When a card has a second region, it functions exactly the same as a single region card of both different regions within the context of the rules. For a Creature, this means Magi of either region may play the Creature without paying regional penalties. For a Relic, this means a Magi of either region can play it. For Magi, it means they can play cards of either of their regions without penalty or restriction. Additionally, when a card effect refers to a card type of either region on a multi-region card matching the named card type, then it affects that card normally. For instance, a Cald/Weave Creature cannot be affected by a Firefly Swarm, as Firefly Swarm cannot affect Cald Creatures. Conversely, an Arderial/Naroom Creature could be affected by Call of the Wild on Essence of Naroom since it is a Naroom Creature. One last note regarding Braggle and multi-region Creatures; if either of the two regions on a Creature involved in combat with the Braggle match Braggle's region, then its Effect will prevent combat damage as normal.

If I have a corrupted Pylofuf and I place Agram's Armor on it, does it lose no energy in attacks? Because Pylofuf says it may only lose two energy in attacks and spells per turn, and Agram's Armor says the chosen creature loses 2 less. So if it loses 2 and then 2 less, does that mean it loses no energy?

Effects that alter the amount of energy being lost are always applied before those that limit the energy loss. The same goes for things that alter card costs and those that halve or limit the costs of the cards. Therefore, the amount of energy assigned to be removed in the attack by the opposing creature will be reduced by two because of the Armor, then the amount left will be reduced to a maximum of two by Burrow.

Does Gwaeg return to your hand if a spell, power, or effect discards it? What if I discard it to use the Moob ring? Some people in my area say the text on Gwaeg means that the Creature only returns to your hand when it is attacked.

When a card refers to a Creature having to be 'defeated while defending', then it means the Creature must be attacked and reduced to zero energy at any time during the attack. If a one-energy Gwaeg were attacked by a Lahalou with three energy, then when both Creatures remove energy from each other normally, the Gwaeg would be defeated while defending, and return to its owner's hand. If the same example happened and the Gwaeg was stalked, making it lose its one energy before energy is normally discarded, it would be defeated while defending (because the definition of defeat is simply to be reduced to zero energy), and would return to its owner's hand. However, if the Gwaeg was attacked and you chose to discard it to fulfill another card effect—such as a card that said 'Effect - You're Mean: When one of your Bograth Creatures is attacked, you may discard it from play before energy is removed to make the attacking player feel bad'—then it would not be 'defeated while defending', because it was discarded directly from play and was not reduced to zero energy, and it would stay in the discard pile.

Is moving Energy the same as saying 'Discard Energy from A and Add Energy to B'? If so, does Move trigger Amanax's power?

A move effect is the same as 'discard X amount to add X amount'. This means that Amanax can receive energy from using a Syphon Vortex.

For Syphon Vortex, can X be greater than the energy of the target Creature?

You may place more energy into a Syphon Vortex than the target has.

If Amanax targets a 6e Creature in play and spends 14e to cast Syphon Vortex (X being 10), does he get only 12E back (6 for the SV and 6 for his Effect) or 20e (X being 10 + 10 for his effect)?

If Amanax were to use Syphon Vortex on a Creature with six energy, spending ten energy for the X portion of the Vortex's cost, he would gain twelve energy, because he can only move six from the Creature to himself, and then he would only gain the six energy discarded by the Spell with his Effect.

Syphon Vortex vs. Rock Hyren: Rock Hyren has 11e and his Effect Invulnerability: Lose 2 less Energy from Spells. Can SV be cast for 17e, X being 13 to kill the Rock Hyren, or is X limited to the amount of energy on the Creature? And how much energy does the Magi get back, the 11 or 13e?

You can make X as high as you can afford, and the Syphon Vortex will attempt to discard X energy, adding back an amount to your Magi equal to what was actually discarded. Invulnerability will stop the first two 'points' of the Vortex, then the excess will get through. If it is enough to discard the Hyren, then it will do so, and the Magi will receive an amount of energy equal to how much was actually discarded. In the example given, the Hyren would be discarded, and the Magi would regain eleven energy.

Can the Almighty Korg play duel region cards such as Bograth/Paradwyn even though his trait says he may only play universal, Bograth, and core cards?

A Bograth/Paradwyn card, for all intents and purposes, is both a single-region Bograth card and a single-region Paradwyn card. All-High King Korg may play any multi-region Bograth, Core, or Universal cards.

What would happen if Sorrowing Ogar cast a Shadow Geyser, and more importantly, an Underneath Shadow Geyser?

Sorrowing Ogar can play a Shadow Geyser as long as she can fulfill every requirement to do so; she would still pay the full five energy for an Underneath Geyser, however, as she is not an Underneath Shadow Magi. Her Geyser's would be Underneath instead of Core.

Can Kybar's Fang be the target of Dream or Nightmare Channel spells while it is in creature form? If yes, what happens when it reverts to its relic state at the end of the turn?

Yes, Kybar's Fang can be targeted by Dream or Nightmare Channel spells while it is in creature form. When it reverts to its relic state at the end of the turn, the channels remain attached to the Fang, as neither spell requires the target to maintain its card type indefinitely. This allows for a near-indestructible improved Water of Life, though it is an expensive method to achieve.

Does Dark Cragnoc need to have energy equal to or greater than the chosen opposing Creature's energy in order to use the Power Cremate?

No, Dark Cragnoc does not need to have energy equal to or greater than the chosen Creature's energy to use Cremate. The card text requires discarding energy from Dark Cragnoc equal to the amount on the chosen Creature, and this must be done even if it results in discarding Dark Cragnoc from play.

If Kyg'n has no energy and no Creatures in play, does he gain 5 energy when attacked due to his Effect - True Grit?

Kyg'n is defeated immediately when a Creature is declared to attack him, before any other effects are triggered. This means the Dewstone cannot be discarded during the attack declaration because Kyg'n is already defeated at that point. He only gains 5 energy if he uses Gulp (or another effect) after being reduced to zero energy and before being declared defeated.

When does Kyg'n gain 5 energy from his Dewstone if he has no energy and gets attacked?

Kyg'n must use an effect like Gulp to discard the Dewstone while he has zero energy, before a Creature is declared to attack him. If he waits until after the attack is declared, he is immediately defeated and cannot gain the 5 energy. The Dewstone's effect only triggers when Kyg'n discards it at a time when he has no energy in play, but not during or after an attack declaration.

When does True Grit trigger if I attack Kyg'n to remove the last of his energy?

As stated above, immediately as an attack is declared on Kyg'n while he has no energy in play; even if he had something to add energy to him when he's attacked (such as Magma Armor), True Grit will defeat him.

If I have a Climbing Staff in hand or play when Sorreah becomes an opponent's Magi, and I discard the staff from my hand or play, does it shut down Sorreah's Suppress effect for just that turn or permanently?

Climbing Staff will permanently prevent Sorreah from using Suppress. Note that if you were in a multiplayer game, unless you were the only opponent left affected by Suppress, you could not discard the Staff to stop it.

What happens when two or more decks that start with the Dark Twins duel? Do you regularly roll dice? Do you let any of them draw up to seven?

Both players reveal the Twins as their Magi and determine who goes first normally; the player who goes first gets the benefit of filling their hand to seven cards. The player who goes second may only draw to five.

Can the unnamed effect on the Climbing Staff be used if the residual effect of Crushing Heat is active?

Though the card is in the player's hand, the Magi must still use any Effect printed on it, named or not. The Climbing Staff may not be discarded to stop the Brushfire because the Magi could not use any Effects on their Relics.

Can I use the Core relic 'Secrets of the Book' on an opposing player who does not have an active Magi?

Yes, you can use Secrets of the Book on a player who does not have an active Magi, as cards in the hand, deck, and discard pile belong to the player, not the Magi. However, that player is unlikely to have cards in hand for you to reveal unless they recently drew or were affected by effects like Vortex of Knowledge.

If Dark Twins has a 4e Koil in play and a Tomes of the Great Library, and I play Crushing Heat discarding his 4e Koil, can I then use Relic Stalker to discard Tomes from play? Does Crushing Heat shut off unnamed effects as well as named ones?

Though the Tomes and similar Relics imply that they are giving themselves their own protection, within the rules, the Magi is the one actually using the Effect on the Relic. If the Magi cannot use Effects on their Relics (such as being affected by Crushing Heat), the Tomes and the other 'legendary' Relics are vulnerable to Relic removal.

I have two Flying Hinkos and two Sabretooth Jumbors. I use both Jumbor's Taunt abilities before my attack step, then attack an Eebit with a Flying Hinko. The Hinko kills the Eebit and gains 2 energy from the two Taunts. Does this trigger each Flying Hinko's Empower effect twice (once per Taunt), giving me 4 energy for my Magi? And does the same happen when the second Hinko attacks, resulting in another 4 energy for my Magi?

Whenever one of your Creatures is attacking and survives the attack, each Taunt you have used on a Sabertooth Jumbor that turn will add one energy to the Creature. In your example, each Flying Hinko will gain two energy after defeating the Eebits. Taunt is a Naroom Power, and when it adds energy to a Creature, it will trigger each Flying Hinko's Empower. Empower will give four energy after each of the attacks in the example given: First Taunt - +1 to Magi with Empower; Second Taunt - +1 to Magi with Empower; Two Empowers - x2 gain.

Player A is playing Naroom and Player B is playing Bograth. Player A casts Gilded Cage to remove the printed Power/Effect from one of the Bograth creature cards. Player B intended to play Darkness on their turn, which gives all Bograth cards a new Power for the duration of the turn. Does Darkness give the Power to the creature that Gilded Cage was played on? If so, can the Gilded Cage creature use the Power from Darkness?

Gilded Cage does not remove Powers or Effects, it prevents the Creature from using them. The Creature would gain Darkness, but be unable to use it.

If I use a Rala Tail and then use my Lalahou's Grow twice, can I kill the Rala Tail with a Relic Stalker and play another then use Grow again?

No; the Rala Tail only grants the Creature to use its Power(s) "ONE additional time" not "AN additional time".

Does Krawg's immunity protect it from losing energy due to being Stalked by Jungle Jiles, and if a Carillion attacks a 2e Krawg with Trample, does Krawg avoid damage from Trample?

Being 'stalked' is a condition generated by a game mechanic; it does not discard energy as a Spell, Power, or Effect, but by the Creature attacking the stalked Creature. Krawg will lose the energy from being Stalked normally. If an Effect discards additional energy based on the Creature being stalked, then that extra energy discard would not happen. Trample does not affect Krawg—it affects the Carillion—so the Carillion would still lose no energy.

Since Sorreah's Dream is also affected by cards that affect the power it is copying, if I am using Sorreah with his effect "Suppress", does this mean I cannot use Sorreah's Dream on my opponent's Magi powers?

Correct; since the Power cannot be used, Sorreah's Dream cannot copy it.

I cannot use Sorreah's Dream to copy a power which has been locked down by Rayje's Belt. Right?

Again, correct; see above.

When you play an Alpine Xamf, does it gain the benefit of its own effect and does it gain 2 energy for being both a Kybar's Teeth and a Naroom creature?

Whenever you play a card, the 'whenever you play' effect triggers at the moment the card leaves your hand and is scheduled to enter the playing field. By that time, the Alpine Xamf has already been played, so its own effect does not activate for itself. However, once it successfully enters play, all effects on the card become active, including 'when this creature enters play' effects. Since Flame Trulb must be in play before its effect triggers and counts itself as a creature, the Alpine Xamf cannot gain energy from itself at entry—but if Flame Trulb is already in play, it can count the Xamf as a creature for triggering effects.

When you take control of a Corathan using Turn, River Abiquist, Crushing Darkness, or similar means, does its effect trigger so you can search your own discard pile for a Core or Orothe card and place it in your hand?

No, the effect does not trigger when you take control of Corathan. You gain control of the creature immediately after the theft resolves, but the effect is tied to the original controller’s action. Since the card wasn’t stolen by the player who now controls it during their turn (or under conditions that would allow triggering), the effect doesn't activate for them. This is consistent with how Morag using Theft on a Karak Band would gain no energy—control transfer does not trigger effects based on theft unless explicitly tied to the controller’s actions.

When you take control of a Karak Necklace or Band (for example, via Hubdra's Cube or Crushing Surf), do you draw 2 cards or gain 2 energy?

No, you do not draw 2 cards or gain 2 energy when taking control of a Karak Necklace or Band. The effect triggers only if the card is stolen by the player who gains control during their turn and under conditions that satisfy the theft bonus. Since gaining control through means like Hubdra's Cube or Crushing Surf does not count as an act of 'theft' for triggering such effects, the benefit does not apply to you—similar to how Morag would gain no energy from stealing a Karak Band with Theft.

Does Crushing Darkness gain control of a creature? When you play the creature, do you gain control of it for purposes such as Corathan?

No; though you are playing a card someone else owns, it is entering play under your control. Whoever plays a card is the controller from the beginning, regardless of the owner, and so the Creature played by Crushing Darkness never switches controllers. For all intents and purposes, it is an entirely new Creature.

Can Good Ol' Ashgar cast a Brushfire from the discard pile using Combat Reflexes? His Effect says he can play a Spell from his hand and Brushfire says you may play it from the discard pile as if it was in your hand.

Yes; the Brushfire's once per turn limit applies to opposing turns as well, and if you can play a card "as if it were in your hand", then Combat Reflexes will let you play it if it meets all of the other requirements.

If Tryn Flamesaver follows the Dark Twins, does she retain her Cald status and can she play non-core cards as a Cald Mage despite becoming a Shadow Naroom?

If Tryn Flamesaver follows the Dark Twins, she becomes a Naroom Shadow Magi but loses her Cald status. The Dark Twins specifically cause the Magi to become only a Naroom Shadow Magi, so the limitations of being a Shadow Magi take precedence and she cannot play non-core cards.

Can Climbing Staff prevent any part of the Vaporize spell's effect from harming the targeted Magi?

No, Climbing Staff cannot stop any part of the Vaporize spell. Vaporize affects both the Magi and their Relics, not just the Magi, so it does not qualify as a spell that solely affects a Magi or a player's hand. Therefore, Climbing Staff has no effect on Vaporize.

My opponent is using Sorreah and plays Storm of Fishes naming relics. Do I have time to use the Climbing Staff in my hand against Sorreah's effect?

Because Climbing Staff gives the broad range of "whenever", if an active continuous Effect is affecting only your Magi, then as long as the Effect is active there is no moment in time that you cannot discard a Climbing Staff from your hand or from play, with the exception of when it is being discarded by something else. In the situation you mentioned, the very last moment you could discard it would be when the Spell is played, but before it resolves. Once it starts resolving, the hands are revealed and then the Relics (or Spells) are discarded without a "pause" to throw the Staff away and shut down Sorreah.

Can a Magi grab an alternate version of a card listed in their starting cards?

An Alternate of a card is considered that card for the purposes of game rules. You can only have three copies of a card in your deck, so you cannot include both regular and alternate versions if they exceed this limit. For example, you could not play three Furoks and three Dark Furoks. A Magi who starts with an alternate version (like Evil Evu starting with Dark Furok) can still start with the original card (e.g., a normal Furok). Similarly, since cards listed under 'STARTING: xxxx Magi' are treated as if they were printed on that Magi, any alternate version of such a card is also available as a starting card. For example, Krawg has 'STARTING: Ashgar', and because 'Good Ol' Ashgar' is an alternate version of Ashgar, either Magi can start with Krawg or its alternate version if one exists. Likewise, if 'Any Cald Magi' were added to Ash Hyren's starting cards, any Cald Magi could begin with either Ash Hyren or Darkbreed's Minion.

Can Grass Hyren's Evade effect add energy if a creature with low energy attacks it and the roll is higher than the creature's energy?

Evade only reduces energy loss; any energy prevention in excess of the energy loss assigned is lost.

If I play Stealth on one of my creatures and attack an opposing creature, but my opponent has Rayje's Sword out, does Stealth still work?

Yes, Stealth still works because it does not reduce energy loss; instead, it allows your creature to remove energy from the opposing creature before they can remove energy from your creature. Although the amount of energy removed is lower, no energy loss reduction occurs within the rules context.

Does Rayje's Sword's Piercing ability prevent effects that reduce energy loss, such as those granted by spells or powers?

Yes, Rayje's Sword's Piercing ability prevents any Spell, Power, or Effect—named or not—from reducing energy loss. If a Spell, Power, or Effect indirectly causes reduced energy loss (such as granting a burrowed status that limits energy loss), Piercing allows the full energy loss to occur unaltered. However, if the reduction in energy loss comes from a game mechanic inherent to a card's text (like being buried by a card effect not explicitly tied to a Spell or Power), then Piercing does not apply.

How does Piercing interact with effects that prevent damage or other results from Spells, Powers, or Effects?

Piercing allows a Spell, Power, or Effect to discard energy normally even if it would otherwise be prevented by an effect like Protection, Resistance, or another similar ability. However, only the energy discarding portion is allowed; any other effects of the Spell, Power, or Effect are still prevented by the original immunity.

Does Piercing prevent a replacement effect that reduces the amount of energy discarded during an attack?

No, Piercing does not affect replacement effects that set the amount of energy to be discarded to a fixed value less than what the creature would normally discard. Such effects are not considered energy loss prevention, so Piercing cannot stop them. For example, Regal Presence on Elder Yark replaces the energy discarded during an attack with either the attacker's starting or current energy, whichever is lower. This is a replacement effect, not damage reduction, so Piercing does not prevent it.

Does Piercing allow a card to bypass restrictions that prevent using Spells, Powers, or Effects that discard energy?

No, Piercing does not circumvent restrictions that prevent using Spells, Powers, or Effects that discard energy. If a card cannot be used at all due to such a restriction, like being Lockdown by Rayje's Belt, then Piercing has no effect and the energy cannot be discarded as intended.

How does Piercing interact with effects that reduce energy loss, such as a creature's ability to reduce damage or energy cost?

Piercing does not prevent a player from using a Spell, Power, or Effect that reduces energy loss; instead, it negates the effect of that reduction. For example, if a creature like Pylofuf uses its Burrow ability to reduce energy loss during an attack, and the attacking player has Rayje's Sword in play with Piercing, then Burrow’s energy loss reduction will have no effect—though the ability can still be used. This is because Piercing stops the energy loss reduction portion of the effect, not the use of the ability itself.

Can Player B use Essence of Naroom to regain control of a creature that was turned into a Core by Turn?

Turn makes the Creature Core instead of Naroom; Essence of Naroom is now useless against it.

If Player A plays Tap Roots on Player B's Treepsh, can Player B discard Treepsh to prevent Tap Roots from adding energy to one of Player A's creatures?

If you discard Treepsh to stop Tap Roots, it will do nothing, neither discard energy or add any.

How does Crushing Heat prevent the use of Rayje' Cloak, which grants protection from effects that would prevent your cards from using their powers and effects?

The ability for you to be protected from not being able to use Powers, Effects, etc., is caused by an Effect on the Cloak. If you cannot use the Effect, you cannot gain the protection of the Cloak, named or not; Crushing Heat prevents the Magi from using Effect on their Relics, stopping the Cloak.

If Player A is casting Beam of Light on a Phrup and another card, or a Phrup and a Phrup controlled by Player B, can Player B use one of the Phrups' Time Lapse on the Beam of Light that is discarding it to prevent the OTHER card from being discarded by Beam of Light this turn?

If you have let your opponent get to the point where they are choosing what the Beam of Light is affecting, then it is too late to use Time Lapse. Time Lapse states 'whenever an opponent plays a card you may discard Phrup from play.' This means when they actually play it but before any choices are made, such as playing the Beam of Light, but before they choose two Phrups. If they did not pause to give you an opportunity to Time Lapse the Beam, declaring they would use it on the two Phrups before you had the chance to say you were Time Lapsing it, then you may force them to allow you to use Time Lapse, even with the knowledge of what they intended. But if they have given you the opportunity to use Time Lapse, you declined, and then they decided to affect one of your Phrups, it is too late to decide and use Time Lapse.

What happens if I attack an Elder Yark under Kioko's control with a Granas if I play a Sneak Attack?

As soon as the Granas is declared as attacking the Elder Yark, the following trigger occurs: Sneak Attack - Attacker (Attacking Player), Sneak Attack - Defender (Attacking Player), Motivate (Defending Player), Demotivate (Defending Player), Regal Presence (Defending Player). The attacking player, as the active player, resolves their effects first and chooses whether to make the attacker or defender discard starting energy instead of current energy. Then, the defending player, as the inactive player, resolves their own effects and decides whether to Motivate or Demotivate, and when to resolve Regal Presence. If Regal Presence is resolved before Demotivate, Demotivate can still be used to revert the amount discarded back to starting energy if desired by the defender. Ultimately, the defending player has final control over the outcome. Additionally, Pummel increases the amount of energy the Granas discards by one.

Can Firefly Swarm target a Lovian even if a Sword of Light is in play, given that Non-Arderial Spells do not affect Lovian?

No, Firefly Swarm cannot target a Lovian even with a Sword of Light in play. The Lovian's ability prevents non-Arderial spells from affecting him, and this targeting restriction cannot be overridden by the Sword of Light. According to Magi-Nation's effects-based ruling system, you cannot play a spell that has no legal targets or would have no effect—since Firefly Swarm cannot affect the Lovian due to his immunity, it cannot be played against him. The Sword of Light does not remove targeting restrictions; it only modifies damage after the target is validly chosen.

Can Kesia play Brushfire since it is both a weave spell and a cald spell?

Yes, Kesia can play Brushfire because it is a weave spell, and 'non-Weave' means a card that does not have Weave as at least one of its regions. Since Brushfire has Weave as one of its regions, it is allowed.

If Tryn Flamesaver uses her power to make the next Naroom spell that adds energy discard it instead, and then casts Sap of Life on a creature with 5 energy out of a starting 10, does the energy added by Sap of Life get discarded due to Tryn's power?

The phrase "restore a Creature to its starting energy" is shorthand for "set the chosen Creature's energy at its starting energy." Most restoration effects specify that you must choose a Creature with less than its starting energy to be affected. Therefore, the restore ability would be adding energy to the Creature, making it eligible to be affected by Tryn's Energy Substitution if it's a Naroom card producing the restoration.

If I play Stealth on one of my Creatures and attack an opposing Creature that has Rayje's Sword in play, does Stealth still work since it doesn't reduce energy loss directly?

Stealth does not reduce energy loss according to the game rules; instead, it allows the attacker to discard energy first, leaving less energy for the defender to discard from the attacker. Although this results in reduced energy loss indirectly, it is not considered energy loss reduction within the game's defined terms, so Stealth has no interaction with Piercing effects like Rayje's Sword.

How does Stalking interact with Krawg? How does piercing on Rayje's Sword and Burrow interact?

When a creature attacks a stalked creature, the energy removal comes from the attacking creature and is discarded by a game mechanic, not a spell, power, effect, or attack. This makes stalking unique and difficult to counter once a creature is stalked. The source of the 'stalked' condition can come from a spell, power, or effect, but if an opposing effect tries to give Krawg the 'stalked' condition, Krawg will not become stalked. Burrow is attached to the spell, power, or effect that grants it, but 'stalked' is a uniquely different mechanic, with energy removal tied to the attacking creature, not any other source.

If I use Blast Gloves to double the X energy I'm discarding from a creature using Syphon Vortex, will I also be adding 2(X) energy to my magi?

No, increasing the amount of energy discarded as part of a 'move' with effects like Blast Gloves does not increase the amount added. The values are not linked; only the original X energy is added to your magi.

If a player has a Magi in play that has no Creatures, Relics, or Spells in play, do they benefit from Nightmare's Dawn?

If a Magi has no cards in play when Nightmare's Dawn is played, they have no cards to compare regions with their Magi, and would be able to gain nothing.

What happens if you control two or three minions in play? The effect says that the Darkbreed's Minion is immune to this effect. Does that mean that it's immune to its own effect or does it mean that it's immune to the smolder effect including the other two minions?

Each of your Darkbreed's Minions will Smolder the other two in play when you draw a card.

If I play Crushing Growth on my opponent's creature and manage to kill it, forcing him to attack with all of his creatures next turn, on his next turn can he play Shell and be immune to being forced to attack or will he have to attack?

If the Shell makes the Creatures unaffectable by Crushing Growth, then they will not have to attack.

Do you need creatures in the discard pile for Dream Rift to work, or can you play it on the first turn and simply draw 3 cards?

It is not required that there be creatures in the discard pile for you to play Dream Rift, but just because there's nothing to shuffle into your deck does not mean you simply draw three cards. The deck is shuffled, then you draw three.

If I play a second Hurracane Orish, or a creature like Bubble Xyx that is both Orothe and Arderial, after already having played one Hurracane Orish, will the cost of the new creature be reduced by 2 or just 1?

All Orothe Creatures you play will have their cost reduced by one, and all Arderial Creatures you play will have their cost reduced by one, once the Hurricane Orish is played. The Bubble Xyx is an Arderial Creature (Cost -1) and an Orothe Creature (Cost -1), so it will cost two less to play.

If Yricho uses Rayje's Belt out of turn, does the lockdown last until the end of my turn or until the end of his next turn?

The lockdown from Rayje's Belt lasts until the end of Yricho's next turn, regardless of when it is played. The effect ends at the conclusion of the Magi who used the power's next turn.

If I cast a Mydra Swarm on my opponent: Can he play a Vellup or Elder Vellup to get a card from his draw deck? Can he steal one of my creatures and get a card from his discard pile from a Corathan? Can he attack me and have his Twee defeated to draw the top card of his discard pile? All three of these situations have the opponent drawing cards. I am fairly sure that the Mydra Swarm would not stop effects and powers like O'qua's conjure and Blygt's waking dreams because the cards are going from the deck or discard pile directly to play. What is the definition of drawing a card? If it is adding a card not in play to your hand, I would say the previous three should not work under a Mydra Swarm, hence my ruling question. The word "draw" ruling would be more rules lawyerish (read like M:tG), and drawing a card makes more logical sense since that is what it actually says. In summary, does it only stop cards that specifically have the word "draw" in them, or any card that lets you draw cards?

Mydra Swarm and Drawing Cards - None of the Effects you referenced are card drawing, they are card retrieval. Just as Mydra Swarm cannot prevent the retrieval of starting cards, the ability to retrieve cards from the discard pile or deck is left intact.

Does Corathan's Betrayal only trigger when I gain control of an opposing card already in play, or whenever I gain control of an opposing card? If I cast a Crushing Darkness, can I get a card from my discard pile?

Corathan's Betrayal triggers only when you gain control of an opposing card that is already in play. When you cast Crushing Darkness and then replay the creature, you do not gain control of the card at any point—its owner remains the same, so Corathan's effect is not triggered.

If I have a Corathan in play and cast Turn, can I get the Turn from my discard pile with Betrayal?

The Turn will not be placed into the discard pile until after it has resolved; you will gain control of the Creature before Turn goes to the discard pile, and cannot retrieve it.

If Crushing Darkness triggers Betrayal, can I get the same Crushing Darkness back?

Yes, if Crushing Darkness triggers Betrayal, you can retrieve it, provided it has already been discarded and is in the discard pile. However, to loop it for energy, you would need at least two copies of Crushing Darkness—one already in the discard pile and one that gets returned via Betrayal.

If I use a River Abaquist to steal an opposing creature, can I get that same Abaquist back from Betrayal or do I need one already in the discard pile since Possess is still resolving?

You would need a copy of River Abaquist already in your discard pile to retrieve it with Betrayal; since Possess is still resolving, the card has not yet been discarded and cannot be retrieved by Betrayal.

I have a 7 energy Bagala Hunter that attacks a Stalked 5 energy Pylofuf. Does the Pylofuf lose 3 or 2 energy? I figure since it is a Mechanic the answer is three. Would it matter if it was Gyrg's Pylofuf that was stalked/would it still lose three? Does the mechanic of "stalk" take precedent or Digging Mastery? In this situation it would seem that Digging mastery caps the total damage from all sources at 2 during each attack.

Stalking Burrow - Energy removed by stalking happens during an attack, so it is counted in Gyrg's cap. Burrow will do nothing to prevent it, and so in your example the Pylofuf loses one energy from being stalked, then up to one more from the attack (thanks to Gyrg's cap).

The 7 energy Bagala Hunter is attacking a 7 energy Rock Hyren. Does the Rock Hyren lose one from the stalking taking it down to 6, or does it stay at 7 since it has invulnerability?

The Rock Hyren would be defeated. Stalking discards one energy from the Hyren, then when energy is discarded, the seven energy discarded by the Bagala Hunter is reduced to six by Invulnerability, then the Hyren's remaining six is discarded and it is defeated.

If I use Taglet's Power of Dream Cross to copy Tar Hyren's Cling Effect after playing a Taglet, and then attack a creature with higher energy than my Taglet, does the Taglet retain the copied Cling Effect even though it is defeated in combat?

Yes, the Taglet will stay attached to the creature and function as if it were a Tar Hyren due to the copied Cling Effect until the beginning of your next turn. At that point, the Cling effect ends, leaving the Taglet as a Creature card with zero energy, which is immediately discarded. Although the Taglet remains a Creature card after losing Cling, it has no way to stay in play without energy, so it is discarded. This also means that if Cling were somehow locked down (e.g., by an effect preventing attachment), the Tar Hyren would be discarded from play—preventing situations where a creature with no energy could remain attached and potentially gain energy again.

If a creature is affected by Tar Hyren's Cling and I have a Moob Ring in play, can I use the Moob Ring to pop the creature during my energize step to prevent my magi from losing energy from the Cling effect?

You may discard the creature for Martyr to prevent the energy from being discarded from the Magi.

Can Sorreah's Dream discard 1 energy from my opponent's Mushroom Hyren to send it back to his hand?

No, you cannot use Sorreah's Dream to discard energy from your opponent's Mushroom Hyren. When using Sorreah's Dream to copy a Power, the cost is paid by the Dream itself, not by the card with the Power. Additionally, you can only choose creatures you control when copying Sanctuary, so you may not target your opponent's Hyren.

Can Grej and Prek be considered dual region magi and played as such, given that they were the first magi who could play cards from each other's regions?

We were playtesting dual-region Magi long before Grej, Prek, and Evil Evu were released (as he could effectively be looked at as "Core/Naroom"). If they were intended to be truly dual-region, they would have been printed as such.

If I use Nagisis to corrupt Koll, could I still use his power to dream twist Kybar's Teeth creatures? Similarly, as a Shadow Magi now, could Koll dream twist Core creatures?

Dream Twist would have to specify 'play a Kybar's Teeth Creature regardless of region' to allow a corrupted Koll to play it. Without the 'regardless of region' clause, Dream Twist cannot override the regional restrictions imposed by the playing cards ruleset. Koll could still play a creature from the region specified in Dream Twist, but only if that creature is playable by a Kybar's Teeth Shadow Magi.

There appears to be a contradiction between two rules statements regarding 'move' effects: one says the discard and addition are dependent on each other, while another states they are not linked—specifically, that increasing the energy discarded does not increase the amount added. How should these be reconciled?

Cards that reduce the energy discard of a move effect reduce the amount of energy added by the move effect; however, cards that increase the energy discard do not increase the energy added. This is the essence of what Steve and I were saying, but we ended up in a situation where 'the right hand did not realize what the left hand was doing' when phrasing some of our previous answers.

Can Korg & Zet count as Korg for the purpose of playing Korg's Poetry?

Any Magi that has another Magi's name in its title is considered an alternate of that Magi. Korg & Zet is an 'Alternate Korg/Alternate Zet', so they could play Korg's Poetry.

What is the correct way to interpret 'Move' effects in terms of energy transfer between sources?

Whenever a Spell, Power, or Effect requires you to move energy from one source to another, you discard the specified amount from the source being moved from and add that same amount to the destination source. Cards that increase the energy discarded do not increase the energy added; however, cards that reduce the energy discarded also reduce the energy added by a corresponding amount. This mechanic is based on real-life logic: if you move less than the full amount (e.g., a gallon minus a cup), you only add what was actually moved; similarly, if more is discarded due to effects, it doesn't result in extra energy being added—only the actual amount moved is transferred.

If I use Abwyn's Quill with Forgotten Dancer to change a region and take control of a creature, can I use Abwyn's Quill again later in the game or on the same turn with another Forgotten Dancer to overwrite a different instance?

Yes, 'Once per Spell or Power' means you can only Overwrite one specific instance of a Spell or Power, not that you cannot use Overwrite on the same Power again later in the game. You may play another Forgotten Dancer on the same turn and use Overwrite on it to change a region and take control of another creature.

When you blow up Golthub, do you get to keep your creatures and relics?

No; when Golthub uses Mire, he must defeat himself, meaning that all non-Magi cards he has in play are discarded.

If I have Grej in play from an Underneath Deck and draw a Crushing Fungus, can I play it?

No, Grej cannot play Crushing Fungus. Although Grej can play Underneath cards and ignore regional penalties and restrictions, Crushing Fungus has a specific restriction that only Underneath Magi and Underneath Shadow Magi can play it, and Grej does not meet this requirement. Similarly, Prek cannot play Crushing Stones.

At what point does my opponent have to declare whether or not he is going to use his Taglat's Dreamwarp (and his Jungle Hyren if he had one in play) to alter its starting energy?

The active player must resolve all of their Effects first. Your opponent would have to choose what they wish to Dreamwarp their Creature to, then you would be able to choose if and how you would like to Dreamwarp it.

If I use Updraft on a creature I gained control of via Arosa's Shell Game, will the creature return to my hand or the original owner's hand? And what happens if Arosa is defeated while controlling a creature through Shell Game?

Updraft returns the creature to the OWNER'S hand. The owner is the person who started the game with the card in their deck. When you Updraft a creature gained via Arosa's Shell Game, it will return to the original owner's hand. If Arosa is defeated while controlling a creature through Shell Game, the creature will return to Arosa's player side of the table when the duration of Shell Game ends, potentially creating a briefly orphaned creature that is not immune to spells, powers, effects, or attacks.

Does the restriction 'Play only two cards per turn' on Korg and Zet mean they can only put down two cards from their hand, or does it also limit other actions like using powers or attacking?

When you 'play' a card it means taking it from an out of play area (hand, deck, or discard pile) and placing it onto the playing field. Using a Power or Effect on a card is not considered 'playing' a card. However, if a restriction limits how many cards you can play per turn and you use a Power or Effect to try to exceed that limit, the part of the Power or Effect that puts the card into play will fizzle. For example, Korg & Zet playing Entomb, naming Hyren's Call, then playing Hyren's Call reaches their two-card-per-turn limit; they can only look through their deck and shuffle it afterward, as no more cards can be played.

If I use Nagsis to corrupt Prek, can she still use her Kinship effect to play Kybars Teeth cards "ignoring regional penalties and restrictions"? Also, does she still get Urhail as a starting card?

Yes, because she specifically says "ignoring regional penalties and restrictions", she gets around the restriction of Core Magi to be unable to play non-Core cards; the same with Grej. As for Prek being able to retrieve an Urhail, Nagsis makes her a Shadow Magi immediately, before she retrieves starting cards, so she cannot retrieve an Urhail.

Does Dazzle allow a creature with 'Dreamwarp' effect to have its energy cost reduced by 3 when played, making a 4-energy creature playable as a 7-energy creature?

No; Dazzle only applies to creatures that are already in play with the 'Dreamwarp' effect. This does not affect creatures as they are played.

If Yerthe has a Sand Hyren in play, can he play any Hyren card for two less energy due to Sand Hyren's Light Side effect?

Yerthe could play the cards "Any one Hyren" and "Staff of Hyren" for two less energy. Since there's no such thing as 'Any one Hyren' and Staff of Hyren already costs zero, Light Side is fairly useless for Yerthe.

Can Ruid's Mutate effect apply to itself when it's coming into play, thereby circumventing the regional restriction?

Ruid cannot mutate itself as it comes into play; Mutate becomes active once the Ruid actually enters play, which is after Mutate could trigger to change the Ruid.

Was there a rule reversal regarding the timing of effect resolution, where one player resolves all their effects before the opponent?

All effects that occur simultaneously are resolved in the order their controller chooses, beginning with all of the active player's effects, then all of the inactive player's effects, in turn order. This has been the rule since it was first addressed post-Awakening.

Can I use Heppeswip's 'Unravel' effect to kill Saladarit after it uses its 'Guard' power to destroy my Junjertrug, even though Guard did not directly target Junjertrug?

Unlike Lockdown, Guard does directly affect the Creature it discards; you could Unravel the Saladarit in the situation above.

Why were there contradictory rulings for Cataclysm and Syphon Vortex, and why did MagiDuel previously state that Deep Wellisk is not protected from Cataclysm?

The previous members of the Rules Team had the ability to make rulings independently without discussion, which led to inconsistencies in rare cases involving design versus intent conflicts. This issue has been resolved by implementing a collaborative review process among all team members. Regarding MagiDuel, while it is privately owned and receives official backing from the Rules Team, updates cannot be made directly due to ownership constraints; however, the site owner is cooperative but currently unavailable to assist. Players should refer to the current rules digests, which take precedence over past rulings. Any conflicting interpretations should be reported so they can be addressed or clarified. The Magi-Nation rules process remains highly democratic, and player input is actively valued.

Since the MRP on Syphon Vortex no longer says "move", do the rules on "move" still apply to the card?

Syphon Vortex, as of its latest printing, says "move"; all rules for move apply.

How does Focus handle changes in energize rates from effects like Channels, Collar of Despair, or Water of Life? Is the change applied before or after Focus triples the base energize rate?

If a card specifically changes the Energize rate, it alters the amount added by Focus. For example, if a Magi's base Energize rate is five and a Dream Channel increases it to seven, Focus would triple the modified rate, resulting in twenty-one. Similarly, with the Collar of Despair reducing the base rate from five to four, Focus would then triple that adjusted rate to twelve.

If a Dasia is Dreamwarped for an additional energy, does that energy come from the Magi, and does it stay on the Dasia?

When a Creature Dreamwarp, it raises or lowers the starting energy of the Creature, and you pay the cost of playing the Creature normally. Additionally, since it is alright for a Creature to have more than its starting energy under normal circumstances, when the Creature's starting energy returns to normal, it keeps the extra from Dreamwarp.

If a Urigant attacks my burrowed Pylofuf, would the Urigant lose only two energy?

Urigant would discard its full energy from a Pylofuf in an attack, because of Dig Up. If the Urigant was Burrowed, it would lose only two energy, as long as there was not another Urigant in play.

If I have Digging Goggles out and Pylofuf attacks a Urigant, would Pylofuf only lose two energy and the Urigant lose whatever amount of energy is on Pylofuf?

Digging Mastery creates an absolute energy loss cap of two that applies to the entire attack, not just the energy removal portion of it. If a Burrowed Creature was attacked while stalked, it would lose one energy from being stalked, then could lose two more from the attack, whereas a Digging Mastery protected Creature would lose one from being stalked, then could not lose more than one from the rest of the attack.

Does Digging Mastery work the same as Burrow except for the Spell/Power part?

Digging Mastery is different from Burrow...Besides not counting as being 'burrowed', meaning Dig Up doesn't affect it, unlike Burrow, it creates an absolute energy loss cap of two that applies to the entire attack, not just the energy removal portion of it.

Can you pull a Bagala Fangs relic when a bagala cub is defeated?

No; a 'Bagala' means a Creature that has the solitary word 'Bagala' in its name.

When Bograth player uses Frenzy while Naroom player has Jip in play and there are 3 Bograth creatures on the table, does Jip gain 8 energy (2 for itself and 2x3 from the opposing creatures) or only 4?

The Jip would gain an amount of energy equal to all of the energy added by one ability (Power or Effect, or Spell) of a card to opposing creatures. If a spell, power, or effect adds two energy to five opposing creatures, Jip would gain ten energy.

When a Magi's Tar Hyren is attached to another player's creature and the Magi is defeated, does the Tar Hyren stay in play or get discarded?

The Tar Hyren is discarded from play when the Magi who owns it is defeated, as game rules for defeat discard all of a Magi's cards; this occurs regardless of attachment to another creature, because it is governed by a game rule rather than being affected by a card.

Do multiple effects given by multiple copies of the same creature stack?

All effects of those cards are cumulative; the only exception would be if a card received multiple energize rates. In that case, it would use the best one.

In a four-player game with players A, B, C, and D taking turns in that order, if Player A uses Shell Game with Arosa to gain control of Player D's creature, when does the effect end? Does it end at the end of Player B's turn (as an opponent), or at the end of Player D's turn?

In Shell Game's case, 'your opponent' refers to the controller of the Creature you gained control of.

Is 'reduce' the same as discard in the context of card effects?

No, 'reduce' does not mean discard. Reducing a resource means decreasing its value, such as reducing energy by two. If Burrow were in effect, the Pylofuf would lose two energy, and the Magi would gain two.

Does ENERGIZE: 1 count as 'gaining' one energy? My wife had a Jile in play with seventeen other Bograth slimeballs and I had a Jip. Do all creatures with ENERGIZE 'gain' that energy, making Jip the cutest, killiest, greeniest, deadliest little Naroomese sod-bird?

When a card energizes, it isn't 'gaining energy' as far as the rules are concerned; Jip would gain nothing.

If Baa is turned into a Shadow Magi by Hrada and can play cards from their original region with a regional penalty of one (two if Naroom), does playing Gwaeg, a Core/Bograth Dream Creature, require the regional penalty?

Yes, Baa must pay the regional penalty of one when playing Gwaeg. Although Gwaeg is a Core creature, it is still a Bograth card, and since Baa is a Shadow Magi who has been transformed from a Bograth Magi, they are restricted to casting cards from their original region with a regional penalty. Because Hrada specifies a 'regional penalty of one' rather than an increased cost, the penalty applies whenever a card is cast from outside the Magi's original region—regardless of whether it is also a Core creature. Thus, even though Gwaeg is Core, it remains out of region for Baa as a Bograth Shadow Magi, requiring the one-energy regional penalty.

In a situation where a dual region card is involved and a restriction applies based on region (such as Rayje's Band preventing Non-Universal Magi from casting Non-Universal spells not of their region), does the card's status as both regions simultaneously allow it to bypass restrictions, or are restrictions applied based on one region over the other?

In cases involving dual-region cards, they are equally both regions at the same time. Therefore, a player may cast a dual-region spell or creature if it matches either of its two regions, regardless of which region is being restricted. For example, Amanax can cast Brushfire (which is both Cald and Weave) because it is a valid Cald card, even though it is also a Weave creature; the restriction from Rayje's Band does not apply since the spell satisfies at least one of its regional requirements.

Can Sarazen Outcast name 'giant' as a creature type to gain favored enemy/bane bonus against creatures like Giant Balder, Giant Carillion, Giant Arboll, and Giant Parathin? Similarly, can he name 'magma' to get the bonus against Magma Hyren, Magma Jile, and Magma Parmalag?

Any single word in a Creature name is a Creature type; this applies to any part of speech, not just nouns. Giant could be named, or Magma, or Baldar, or Orish...Etc. You could even say 'Ballistic' and affect only Ballistic Baldars.

When my opponent uses Dark Ayebaw's Implode on my magi and I discard cards by dropping a climbing staff, do the discarded cards return to their hand?

The cards are discarded as part of the cost to use Implode; they are gone and do not return to their hand.

Does Rayje's Sword prevent opponents from effectively using the Moob Ring to avoid energy loss?

Since saying that an energy-discarding spell, power, or effect "does nothing" is technically reducing energy loss, Rayje's Sword will defeat a Moob Ring.

A) Please, rules team, define regional restriction.

A regional restriction means that your Magi is forbidden from playing cards of a certain type of a certain region because the Magi's region is different from the card to be played. The inability for Core Magi to play non-Core, non-Universal cards, as well as the inability for non-core Magi to play Core cards or non-Universal Relics not of their region, are regional restrictions.

B) If Ulk cleansed Crushing Darkness, and then played one, as we all know she now can, can she still play the defeated creature, because Crushing Darkness states that the creature is played as a core creature? Underneath Magi cannot play core creatures without explicit text from the card. What's going on?

If the Magi could not play a Core Creature, then they would be unable to follow through with the second half of Crushing Darkness, and would get no Creature back. Exceptions would be if the Creature had the text "Underneath Magi may play xxxx", in the example you gave, or the corresponding region for your Magi.

C) I disagree with rulings made previously about crushing spells and cards that allow you to ignore regional penalties and restrictions, such as Heart of the Sky, Hand, and Tomes of the GL. I personally feel that the sentence "Only Underneath Magi and Underneath Shadow Magi can play Crushing Fungus." is a regional restriction. Therefore, with Heart of the Sky, I would be able to play it, even though my Magi is Arderial, because I ignore regional restrictions. If this is not a regional restriction, than what is it?

It's not a regional restriction within the definition of the rules, it is a specific restriction on the card regarding who can play it.

Can all Underneath Magi use the Gate of Ombor with Urhail, since he says STARTING: Any Underneath Magi?

Yes, they may; every Underneath Magi in the game has "Urhail" as a starting card.

Does the same rule apply to Gryg's Digging Mastery ability with Invulnerability, as burrow and Invulnerability work together? Since Invulnerability is reduced before reducing the burrow effect, would Akkar lose 2 energy with Gryg as his Magi? (Akkar has an Invulnerability of 2)

When Akkar is attacked with Gryg controlling it, he will lose at most two energy (depending on the size of the attacker); caps are applied after reductions.

If Bograth plays a Crushing Stench and that player wants to play a creature with Dreamwarp, like a Poison Baloo Root, can they activate Dreamwarp to play it with 3 energy? And must the extra energy be paid?

No; the Creature may be Dreamwarped up or down regularly, but it will still only have the energy that Crushing Stench gives it.

How does Rayje's Sword interact with the spells Shell, Entangle, and Tranquility?

Against Shell, it works similarly as against Shadow Cloak; all energy discard of non-Orothe Spells and Powers gets through. Entangle is different because you cannot even attempt to play a Spell that would discard energy, so the Sword wouldn't 'know' energy removal is being reduced. Against Tranquility, energy is still discarded normally; all Tranquility does in this case is net a card draw.

Does Piercing allow creatures or relics that normally couldn't be discarded to be discarded, such as Relic Stalker removing Gift of the Weave?

No; 'discard' is a completely different mechanic from 'energy removal'.

Can Weave Hut stop a creature like Zungg from moving energy from my creatures? My opponent argued that the energy wasn't 'discarded' but rather moved, so Weave Hut shouldn't apply.

Move is a 'discard X to add X' effect. The energy removal of Gnaw would be prevented, and the Zungg would receive nothing.

Can Nyrex release a creature it caught after discarding itself, following a Tidal Wave or Cataclysm effect that causes both Nyrex and another creature to be discarded simultaneously?

The problem with this case is, though both effects are triggered simultaneously, they both cannot actually be processed fully. The Nyrex will be able to release anything it currently 'holds', but when it tries to Catch anything else, there will be no Nyrex there to hold the creatures, so 'Catch' will fizzle.

Does Rayje's Cloak prevent Sorreah from suppressing a Magi's powers and effects, since Sorreah is an opposing card?

Yes, while you have a Rayje's Cloak in play, Sorreah cannot suppress your Magi's powers and effects.

Does Heppeswip's Unravel trigger when an opposing Creature uses a power that affects one of my Weave Creatures, even if the effect is delayed or occurs later (such as during an attack), or must the power be affecting the creature at the moment it is used?

The intent is to apply when the effect of the card actually 'hits' the victim; this is similar to playing a Furok after an opponent has used Deadfall. Fird Favor will still trigger and let you reduce the energy loss, though the Spell is long gone. In your example, you may use Unravel to discard the Saladrit at the time of the attack.

Does Eclipse prevent Lascinth from attacking?

No; Hunger only prevents your cards from keeping the Lascinth from attacking. Opposing cards halt it just fine.

Can you play Ambush with Abraxin's Crown on a Magi? They both have starting energy. It would be pretty good if you could but it sounds too good to be true.

Yes; the term 'starting energy' is universal to Magi and Creatures.

Has Abraxin's Crown been errataed so that "if any card is discarded from your hand by an opposing card, you may discard Abraxin's Crown instead..." now includes the effect word like Climbing Staff, or is it still just card text with no distinction?

It is not an Effect; merely card text. If it were an Effect, discard could use it to their advantage, by discarding their own Crown when you use one against them, making you lose your hand, your energy, and sealing the lock.

Can 'Umm...No!' be played in response to 'Curse of the Abaquiat' discarding a creature from play?

Um...No! only protects your creatures, meaning only creatures you control. The Um...No! could not be played in response to 'Curse of the Abaquiat' discarding a creature.

If the Magi who cast Corrupt is defeated, does Corrupt fizzle even if the opposing Magi was selected when it was cast?

All cards controlled by a Magi are discarded from play when that Magi is defeated. If the Corrupt has not been triggered, it's lost.

What defines 'playing no cards' in the next turn? Does this include using Powers and Effects on cards already in play, such as Rabbage or Monarch Hyren?

Playing a card, by definition, is moving a card from an out of play area (hand, deck, or discard pile) onto the playing field. Cards already in play can do whatever you please, but if they try to play anything themselves, the actual 'play' effect fizzles.

If I control Rayje's Sword and my opponent plays Darkbreed's Minion: Alternate Ash Hyren, does the Minion take damage from Smolder even though it is normally immune to opposing effects?

Yes, the Minion now Smolders itself and loses energy. As a side note, the Sword may be a Calder's best friend, but Braggles like it less and less each time they see it.

Can a creature card like Swamp Hyren be chosen as the starting creature for the Dark Twins if it only states 'Core Magi can play [insert creature name here]' but does not explicitly say 'Core Dream Creature' in its card type?

It must specifically say "Core" and "Dream Creature" in its card type. This means no Swamp Hyren.

Can the effect on Warrada's Ring be used the turn it is put into play, or does it require waiting until the following turn?

Phenomenal Cosmic Power triggers at the beginning of your turn; this means that it will have to last a turn to be used.

If playing a Core deck with both Swamp Hyren and Glablit in play (after playing a Gwaeg or similar), would all subsequent Bograth and Core creature cards cost two less energy?

No; Swamp Hyren has a single cost reduction ability that applies to both Core and Bograth Creatures. Therefore, any creature that satisfies the condition would cost one less energy. In contrast, Voice of the Storm's Diplomacy Effect has two separate cost reduction effects in it, each with separate conditions. If both conditions are met, both reductions apply. In addition, Glablit only affects your Creature in play, not ones in the process of being played.

If you have a Glablit in play and cast a Blight spell, would each of your Bograth and Core creatures in play gain two energy, since they fit both conditions listed on Blight?

Again, Blight has a single effect of adding energy to Creatures that fit either of the conditions listed. So, any Creature that fits either (or both) condition, will receive one energy. Creatures that fit both conditions would not receive two energy however, since any Creature only gets energy from Blight once.

When Kybars Fang the Creature becomes the Kybars Fang the Relic again, does Ullig gain four energy from Fearless or is she defeated?

Ullig gains the energy when her last creature is actually discarded from play; the Fang never is, and she would gain nothing. If she has no other energy in play, she is defeated.

Can a Magi play Core spells while affected by Entangle if they have Mantle of Shadows in play?

No, you cannot; the Mantle of Shadows specifically grants the ability to play Core spells, but this assumes the Magi already has the ability to play spells. Entangle removes that ability entirely.

Do cards like Hand/Heart of the Sky or Tomes of the Great Library allow a Magi to play spells while under Entangle?

No; while Entangle is in effect, the ability to play spells in any manner is completely removed from the Magi.

Can Shadow cards such as Evil Evu, Sorrowing Ogar, or Core Grag/Deadfall allow a Magi to play spells while affected by Entangle?

No; they must still have the inherent ability to play spells, which Entangle removes.

Does Focus prevent all card plays, including those from effects like Conjure (O'Qua), Evil Evu, Warlum, or Materialize?

Yes; you cannot play cards in any way while under Focus, meaning all 'summon' effects fizzle and do not resolve, with the summoned cards remaining in their original out-of-play area.

Since Nalo and Lava Flow are worded to bypass restrictions entirely, can they be used to get around Entangle or Focus like other abilities?

No; because Entangle changes the rules by completely removing the ability to play spell cards, which makes it different from effects that only impose penalties or conditions.

How is Tranquility different from Entangle? I've always interpreted both as preventing players from declaring spells or powers that would remove Energy, just like you can't declare a spell under Entangle. Shouldn't Tranquility prevent declaration of actions rather than just the damage?

Tranquility prevents the loss of Energy when playing Spells that discard Energy, not the declaration of those Spells. The original wording in the Cald/Arderial Demo decks clarified this by stating: 'Until the beginning of your next turn, all Spells that discard Energy instead discard no energy. Draw one additional card during your Draw Step.' This version makes it clear Tranquility reduces Energy loss, allowing effects like Rayje's Sword to still function.

Can you dreamwarp a 3 energy creature in at 2 energy, and will it return to 3 energy at the end of the turn? What if you dreamwarped it in at 4 energy?

A Creature can have less or more energy than its printed starting energy amount. When you Dreamwarp a Creature and its starting energy returns to normal at the end of the turn, it does not change the Creature's current energy; you get what you paid for.

If my opponent plays Corrupt on their turn, then I play a Twee so they gain control of it, and later I attack and defeat it, whose discard pile does it go into and who gets to retrieve a creature?

When a card is discarded from play, it goes to its Owner's discard pile after all of the effects triggered by the Creature's discard are resolved. Your opponent (who controlled the Twee when it was discarded) will get the Creature from their discard, and the Twee will go to your discard pile.

What is Dreamwarp in the card game?

Dreamwarp is a mandatory Effect that activates whenever you play a Creature with Dreamwarp, unless it has been Locked Down. You must use Dreamwarp, though you may choose to Dreamwarp for zero. If you choose a number other than zero, the cost and starting energy of the Creature are adjusted by that amount until the end of the turn. At the end of the turn, the Creature's starting energy returns to its printed value, although this does not affect its current energy.

Does Piercing allow the player to discard energy from a Magi if the Magi was the chosen target, when using Relic - The Last Words?

No, Piercing does not allow discarding energy from a Magi when using Relic - The Last Words. The Last Words prevent you from discarding energy from opposing Magi altogether, eliminating Magi as a legal target for energy discard effects, regardless of Piercing.

Does Piercing allow a player to target and discard energy from a Magi with Spell - Brushfire or Power - Fireball if the effect only allows targeting Creatures?

No, Piercing does not allow targeting a Magi with effects that only permit Creature targets. Without a card like Abraxim's Crown that explicitly grants the ability to choose Magi as a target, Magi remain illegal targets even when Piercing is in play.

With Abraxim's Crown, The Last Words, and Piercing active, can Brushfire target a Magi, and does the Magi take full damage?

Yes, with Abraxim's Crown, you may choose to discard energy from either a Creature or a Magi, even if the effect normally only targets Creatures. However, The Last Words still prevent discarding energy from opposing Magi altogether, so despite the Crown and Piercing, Magi remain illegal targets when using effects that are restricted by The Last Words.

Can non-Core Magi play Duel Region cards that are also Core cards, such as Tomes of the Great Library for a Naroom Magi?

Yes, non-Core Magi can play Duel Region cards that are also Core cards if their region matches one of the card's regions. A Magi can play any card whose region matches at least one of their own regions, regardless of whether the card is Core or another region. In the case of Tomes of the Great Library, which is both Naroom and Core, a Naroom Magi can play it because Naroom is one of their regions.

Can Abraxin's Crown allow Flame Rudwot's power to affect Cald or Naroom Magi?

No; Dreamburn replaces the word "Creature" with "Magi" in cases like this, so you would still be restricted to non-Cald, non-Naroom Magi.

Can Tryn Flame Saver use Energy Substitution with Healing Flame to remove energy from a Naroom or Cald creature or Magi while under Abraxin's Crown?

Yes; Dreamburn allows Healing Flame to affect Cald or Naroom Magi, and then Energy Substitution changes "add" to "discard".

With Tryn Flame Saver, Tap Roots in hand, and Abraxin's Crown in play, can I use Energy Substitution to remove energy from my opponent's Magi after using Tap Roots to remove 2 energy from two creatures?

No; Dreamburn only applies to the very first line on Tap Roots that lets you choose two Creatures; if you Dreamburn it to Magi, you must choose two Magi. You could still use Energy Substitution to discard two energy from both Magi or two Creatures.

Does Tap Roots require at least two creatures in play to be used?

Yes; there must be at least two Creatures in play to use Tap Roots, and the amount of energy added and discarded is independent. The term "up to" includes zero, so you could discard two energy from one creature and add zero to another.

With Abraxin's Crown in play, can Tap Roots target the same Magi or creature twice when used with Tryn Flame Saver?

No; you still have to choose two different Creatures or Magi even with Abraxin's Crown in play.

If Scroll of Fire is in play, will Tap Roots remove 3 energy from two creatures when used by Tryn Flame Saver?

Yes; if you use her Naroom Energy Substitution, then Tap Roots would remove 3 energy from each of the two targeted Creatures.

If Ballistic Baldar's ability requires me to choose 'up to' a number of creatures equal to the die roll, and I roll a 4 but my opponent only has two creatures in play, do I have to choose my own creatures to take the damage?

Ballistic Baldar actually says "equal to" not "up to." If you roll a number higher than the number of creatures your opponent has in play, you must choose your own creatures to discard energy from. However, if you roll a number higher than the total number of creatures in play (including yours), and there is no alternative effect such as discarding three energy from each creature in play instead, the ability cannot be fully resolved and thus fizzles, discarding nothing.

If I use Stone Storm, which says "Choose 2 creatures and discard X energy from each of them," but my opponent only has 1 creature in play, do I have to choose one of my own creatures?

Yes. Whenever a card instructs you to "choose Y creatures" where Y is any number, it is implied that you must select exactly that many different creatures unless the card specifies otherwise (such as with Makoor). This means you may need to choose your own creatures if there aren't enough opponent creatures available, potentially causing effects like Swamp Weebo to backfire.

8 - Beam of Light: Does the 'in play with two or less energy' pertain to Relics, Spells and Creatures, or just to Creatures?

Creatures, because Creatures are the only non-Magi cards that retain energy counters.

Core Grag/Ominous Chill: Would a Core Grag's power (Firestorm) benefit from an Ominous Chill's effect (Chill)?

No; the energy discarded by Firestorm is from a Power, not an attack.

If I choose to draw 3 cards at the end of my turn using Warrada's Ring but then sacrifice my Magi before drawing, do I still draw the 3 cards?

Once the effect is triggered, it will occur; if you choose to draw an extra card at the end of the turn, you will, even if the Ring leaves play.

When using Treepsh's Power, if my opponent has no creatures in play, do I still get to draw 2 cards as long as I have at least one other creature?

Yes; if the opponent has no Creatures in play, when you use Treepsh's Power, as long as you had at least one other Creature in play, you would get the extra card. Unlike with the comparison's Kybar's Teeth cards usually make, the opponent having no Creatures still lets you check against their quantity.

If Trygar is defeated simultaneously with an opponent using Sorreah or Rayje's Belt locking down his Avenger effect, does his Avenger ability still trigger?

By the time the effect that prevents him from using Avenger leaves play, he will have left play also, if his defeat and the removing of the effect was simultaneous. Note that in cases where he defeats himself by playing a Spell, etc., and the Spell removes the preventative effect, then he is defeated by having no energy, he would get to use Avenger. For instance, if Trygar had two energy left and an opposing Rayje's Belt was Locking Down Avenger, he could spend his remaining energy to play Resonate, choosing to discard the Belt. When Resonate resolved, the Belt would be discarded. Then, immediately afterward, since there are no pending card effects and there is a Magi with no energy in play (Trygar), he will be defeated. In the momentary pause between the Belt leaving play and the rules realizing Trygar was defeated, he would have regained the ability to use Avenger.

Is Gia restricted to only playing Weave Relics because she is MRP?

Not entirely correct; the rules on who can play what cards were more accurately defined, that's all. She can only play Weave and Universal Relics with Unearth, because that is all she would be able to play from her hand.

If I have Wasperines in my starting hand and go first, can I use their abilities, summon them, and attack my opponent even though they haven't flipped their Magi yet?

You can have them Rush if you like, but there's nothing there to attack; the same thing happens if you defeat an opposing Magi before your attack step, there will be nothing to attack when your attack step comes around (and you have to have something to attack, you can't just declare attacks against nothing).

Does Crushing Heat affect opposing Relics that arrive in play the turn AFTER Crushing Heat is played - or just the opposing Relics (and Magi) currently in play when Crushing Heat is cast?

Crushing Heat doesn't affect Relics; it affects the Magi. Until the end of that Magi's next turn after the Crushing Heat affects them, they cannot use Powers or Effects on Relics, in play, in hand, anywhere.

If Quido Swarm's effect 'calling' is reset by R. Belted, would the swarm then reset to zero at the start of the turn, since zero is the default value for any unknown value of X in Magi-Nation?

Since Calling has no duration defined, the starting energy of the Swarm remains set until Calling is triggered again. Thus, Swarm will set the Creature's energy to whatever it was last set at.

If player A casts Entangle on player B, can player B use the Staff to cancel Entangle during their own turn, even though Entangle is still affecting them?

At any time you could legally use an effect during the duration of Entangle, you could discard the Staff to stop it, in case you wanted to wait until your turn to decide whether or not you needed to use Spells, etc.

With spells like Resonate that have multiple, unrelated effects, what order do you process those effects in? Or once they are all decided on, do they all happen simultaneously?

All results would be applied simultaneously; in the example stated, Resonate discards one energy from Dasia and two energy from the Magi simultaneously. Dasia's effect is triggered by the energy discard and causes the Magi to gain one energy, since the Magi is not defeated until all pending card effects are resolved. The Magi survives with one energy.

If I have only one creature in play with a usable power, and I have two Blooms in my hand, can I Bloom twice and use the same creature's power for both?

No, you may still only use a Power once per turn, under normal circumstances. If you Bloom twice, you cannot choose the same Power a second time, even if both Blooms are played simultaneously; you would resolve them in the order you choose.

When bringing Ghazran into play using both Realitywarp and Dreamwarp effects, if I bring him in at 11 energy due to Dreamwarp, do I still have to pay the energy cost for Dreamwarp, or is it covered by Realitywarp?

Dreamwarp it as high as you can; it'll get all of the energy. Realitywarp lets it ignore all costs, including any Dreamwarping you may do to it. (So saving your Radiant Springs for it wouldn't be a bad idea.)

Can I cast Um... NO! 3 times when an opponent Cataclysms?

Yes; Um...NO! may save Creatures from Cataclysm.

Can I use Yricho's Staff to save a creature during a Cataclysm?

Yes; the Staff would be triggered multiple times simultaneously. You would choose the order you check the Creatures in, rolling die and discarding energy if successful in each successive case.

Can I use Yricho's Staff multiple times during a Cataclysm, because it is discarding each one of my creatures from play?

See above; let me reiterate, of course, that you do not check all Creatures simultaneously. You roll for one, discard the energy if it is saved, then roll for the next. Therefore, you should focus on saving your best first, since saving them will become progressively more difficult.

If the Karak Band and Necklace are now "Once per turn," does that mean they must be triggered inside a turn, not at the beginning or end, like with Arosa?

'End of turn' is still during a turn; the Karak Relics will trigger appropriately if they haven't been used that turn.

Depending on that ruling, does Arosa's Shell Game not activate the Karak Relics?

See above; the errata doesn't really affect Arosa's interaction with the Karak Relics so much as it affects theft decks as a whole.

If I have The Last Words and Raxis in play, can I use Shatterfire to discard a relic from play, or does The Last Words prevent me from using Shatterfire entirely?

Even though Shatterfire gives the opponent a choice of taking the energy loss, it is still energy being discarded from a Magi by one of your Powers (which Last Words prohibits); because of this, they could choose not to let the Relic be discarded, and then would lose no energy.

Does Drush's 'Vengeance' effect trigger if Drush is defeated by a spell or relic rather than being attacked during the combat phase?

The term 'attacked' means that the Creature was declared as a defender during the attack step; if a Spell, Power, or Effect discards Drush outside of an attack, Vengeance does not trigger.

When you get your starting cards with a new magi, do you have to show them to your opponent so they know what you're getting? My opponent insists you do, because that way he 'knows I'm not cheating'. =/ On cards like the Dark Twins, where he basically gets to see my hand, it's rather annoying. So is what he's doing legal or not?

When you take starting cards, you place them onto the playing field for all players to see before adding them to your hand.

Do you get starting cards for your second/third magi if you already have a copy of those cards in your hand?

If you also have them in your discard pile/deck, you may still retrieve them.

If I have say, 3 creatures out and my opponent has 5, if my opponent attacks and destroys 3 of my creatures, the remaining 2 of his may NOT attack my magi that turn--or can they? Would that work because those two creatures have not performed their attack for that turn? Or have I been playing it completely wrong all along..?

A Creature that has not attacked during the current turn may declare an attack on the opposing Magi if there are no opposing Creatures in play.

Sorreah says any two Arderial Spells and Tony Any creature. But Rayje says two different Universal cards and Voice of the Storm one Arderial or Orothe relic. Rayje and Voice doesn't say the word 'any'. So they have to follow the rule on Sorreah and Tony or not? They have to take their card from the discard first and take whatever they find or could search their deck?

The term 'Any' was a bit too ambiguous, and created some confusion; future cards will not use the word 'any', but still mean the same thing. For example, if Sorreah were to be reprinted now, he would say "STARTING: Two Arderial Spells", just as Tony would say "STARTING: One Creature, Furok".

Sorreah says any two Arderial Spells and Tony Any creature. But Rayje says two different Universal cards and Voice of the Storm one Arderial or Orothe relic. If I like to get an Orothe Relic and I only have Arderial one on the discard pile. Can I search my deck for an Orothe relic?

No; you're stuck with whatever is available in the discard pile that qualifies, if there is anything there, just as if Bria wanted to fetch a pair of Energy Bands but had a Hubdra's Spear and another Orothe Relic in her discard pile when she was revealed.

If Phlouk had discarded the creature played by Ring Testing Power, does he need to play the cost at the end of the turn? For example, if I play a Moss Quido with Ring Testing, discard it to draw cards, and have 4 energy left at the end of the turn, do I have to pay the 3 energy from the discarded Moss Quido?

If you have the energy on the Magi to pay for it, even if the Creature is no longer there, you must still pay. If you do not have enough energy, but you discarded the Creature for a Power, etc., you suffer nothing.

I use Ring Testing to play a Swamp Hyren, so my creatures cost less to play. My Magi is left with 4 energy at the end of my turn. I can play the 8 energy cost from the Hyren. Do I have to discard the remaining 4 energy or not?

If you cannot pay the full cost, you pay nothing, and the Creature is discarded.

When a Magi has a Starting ability that allows you to get 'any X' starting cards, such as Sorreah's 'Any two Arderial Spells,' do you have to search your discard pile first before selecting from your deck?

Yes, even though the ability says 'any,' you must still search your discard pile first and choose any qualifying cards there before searching your deck. If there are qualifying cards in your discard pile, you must take them before selecting additional cards from your deck. For example, if Sorreah is revealed and your discard pile contains two Arderial Spells like Lightning and Shooting Star, you must take those two as your starting spells. You may then search your deck for more Arderial Spells only if needed to fulfill the requirement.

If I play Kybar's Fang and activate it (because my opponent has more creatures than me), can I play and activate another one? My friend says that it just becomes a creature and you can have two creatures in play with the same name.

The rules for Relics state that you cannot play a Relic if you already control another card with the same name; this means you cannot animate a Fang then play another.

Does converting a discard to healing count as prevention, and does this prevent a Kelthet from gaining energy when using Move?

No energy is being discarded, so no energy is added for the sake of Move. 'Move' means: Discard X energy from a source, then add energy equal to the amount discarded but no more than X to the destination.

In Magi-Nation DUEL, who is responsible for using Powers and Effects?

In Magi-Nation DUEL, the Magi use their own Powers and Effects, as do Creatures with their printed Powers and Effects. The player makes all decisions for both the Magi and Creatures, effectively taking on these 'roles' while the Magi and Creatures carry out the actions.

XYX Elder vs Rayje's Sword: XYX Elder's power Shockstorm states that "Roll one die. Discard that much energy from each non-XYX creature in play." The way I read it is that this power doesn't even target XYX creatures to begin with so there is in fact no energy loss prevention currently happening. So "Piercing" wouldn't allow XYX creatures to get blasted as well.

It doesn't even choose Xyx Creatures to discard energy from; so the Xyxes will lose nothing, even if Piercing is in effect.

Elios and Rayje's Belt: Elios has the Effect: Dream Hard which states..."At the beginning of your Energize step, if Elios is able to energize, choose a number less than his energize rate. Reduce Elios's energize rate by the chosen number until the start of your next turn. During your draw step, draw cards equal to the number chosen instead of your normal two". Now if that effect is Belted does Elios get to draw his two cards at the end of the turn as per usually or because he couldn't set his Energize rate at all will he draw zero cards?

Dream Hard is the Effect that restricts his ability to draw two cards normally; if he cannot use it, then he simply draws two cards.

Scyalla and Sarazen Outcast: Both of these cards allow you to name a creature type, how does this work? Does the terms like Elder, Giant, Guardian, Pup, Stone, Magam...etc. mean that those could be named and Creatures of that type are chosen?

Yes, they are in fact all related; a Giant Chogus and a Giant Carillion are both abnormally large breeds of the respective Dream Creatures, while Elders have something to distinct them as well (generally, an 'Elder' of a Dream Creature race is a Dream Creature that has been around a long, long time, and because of that has learned a few unique tricks of its own compared to the younger versions). Also, it would just create too many issues to try and differentiate; what defines a Creature type? A noun (in the context of Magi-Nation)? That works just fine when you apply it to something like Baldars, but what about Sarazens? There wouldn't be any way to distinguish Sarazens, as the term 'Sarazen' is generally used as an adjective, though that's what the species is. You would just have a member of the 'Guard' Creature type and the 'Outcast' type that, while we know are related, couldn't be. And art cannot be a guide either, because that's subjective without a huge rulings list along the lines of "These cards are in this family:", which is just clunky. Any singular word (plural or not) within a Dream Creature's card title is a Creature type. Even the seemingly unrelated ones, such as Ballistic, Elder, Chaos, Giant, etc. Within the context of the ecology of the Moonlands, these Creatures actually are related, as strange as it may seem.

If I have a Rala, a Rala Tail, and Yricho in play, can I use one of my creature's powers three times total after playing a Flame Rudwot and using its Burning Branches ability?

No; each Paradwyn card that grants the additional use of the same Power grants it ONE additional time, not an additional time. You could still use it twice, however.

If I have a Rala, a Rala Tail, Bazha as my Magi, and a River Abaquist in play, can I use the River Abaquist's power to possess up to three creatures, similar to how the Vault of Knowledge key works with Warrior's Boots?

No; you would discard the River Abaquist as soon as you declared that you used the Power; no chance to use it again.

The Ash Hyren's power, Devitalize, restores a creature to its starting energy. What happens when the creature has more energy than its starting amount? Is the excess energy discarded or just dissipated?

Devitalize can only be used if the creature is above its starting energy; the excess energy is discarded.

Will Moss Quido be changed to limit the number of cards drawn, similar to the change made to Secrets of the Book?

Moss Quido will not be changed to limit the number of cards drawn; until it becomes part of an unstoppably broken deck (which is unlikely since it only works effectively in a swarm deck), it will remain as printed.

If my opponent uses Darkness and then goes to discard one of my creatures, can I play "Ummm..NO!" to prevent that creature from being discarded? Or since it's now a power on a creature, would that not work?

No; the Spell grants a Power to all of the Creatures, and it is that Power that discards the Creature. All the Spell does is grant the Power of Darkness.

If the Dreamwarp effect is mandatory and I can Dreamwarp for zero, will Vine Hyren always gain 1 energy when a creature with Dreamwarp is played?

No; effectively, unless Dreamwarp is under the effect of 'Lockdown' or something similarly restrictive, Dreamwarping for 0 satisfies the Vine Hyren's need for you to "use" Dreamwarp. The reason that the Vine Hyren simply doesn't say "whenever you play a Creature with Dreamwarp..." is because, as in the case mentioned, Locking down Dreamwarp shuts down the energy gain as well, with the current wording; functionally different from just gaining energy when a Dreamwarper is played.

If I have both Jungle Hyren and Vine Hyren in play, and I play a creature without Dreamwarp but use Jungle Hyren's Dreamwarp effect, will Vine Hyren gain 1 energy since the effect has the same name?

Yes; more evidence that, if you're Dreamwarping, Vine Hyren is almost a staple, albeit expensive.

In a multiplayer game, I have a Dryte Fiend in play and name Player B's Furok Guardian (at 10 energy) 'Condemned' at the beginning of Player A's turn. Player A casts 'Stalk' on the condemned Furok Guardian and then attacks it with a 3-energy Vine Hyren. Will the Furok Guardian lose 4 energy before energy is removed because of Condemn?

Losing energy from attacks means losing energy when creatures discard energy during the remove energy step. The creature would only lose one energy from Stalking.

In the same scenario, will the Furok Guardian also lose the 3 additional energy from the attack?

Yes, it would.

How will the energy resolve in this situation?

First, Stalking removes one energy, reducing the Guardian to nine. Then, the Hyren and Guardian discard energy from each other; the Hyren assigns three to the Guardian, which Condemn increases to six, while the Guardian assigns nine to the Hyren. The Guardian survives the fight with three energy.

Now replace the Furok Guardian with a Pylofuf in the same scenario. How will the energy resolve then?

Stalking will still remove one energy from the Pylofuf, then Burrow will reduce the six energy discard to two. Condemn doesn't discard energy itself; it increases the amount of energy discarded by the offending mechanic in question.

Does Awakening defeat Kyg'n if Kyg'n is already in play when Awakening resolves, despite Kyg'n's 'True Grit' ability that prevents defeat unless directly attacked?

Yes, Awakening can defeat Kyg'n even though he has True Grit. True Grit only protects Kyg'n from being defeated by normal means—such as having no energy and no creatures in play—but it does not protect against specific effects that explicitly state a Magi is defeated. Since Awakening directly defeats all opposing Magi Stacks if certain conditions are met, it overrides the protection of True Grit.

Can Ritual Spear be used to defeat Kyg'n, given that his 'True Grit' ability prevents him from being defeated except through direct attack?

Yes, Ritual Spear can be used to defeat Kyg'n. Although True Grit restricts Kyg'n’s defeat to only occur during a direct attack, Ritual Spear is an effect that defeats a Magi directly and does not rely on the standard conditions for defeat. Therefore, it bypasses the protection of True Grit, as long as the effect itself qualifies as a valid means of defeating a Magi.

In order for Furlosk to survive there has to be in play one creature from each region. Since it doesn't say anything like 'at the end of the turn' or 'at the beginning of your turn', then this card will be discarded immediately after play. With this wording, I can't play 2 Furlosk to complete requirements if I have no creatures or just creatures from one region, right? Bograth and Narrom are regions that don't get along, and there are no other Bograth/Narrom creatures for Furlosk to be playable.

Companionship does require that you have both a Naroom Creature and a Bograth Creature under your control when Furlosk enters play. If you cannot fit this requirement, it is discarded immediately, meaning you would not be able to play one then another to keep both in play, since playing creatures is sequential, not simultaneous.

Can I chain Korrits together for attack damage, using a Parmalag as the final creature in the chain to avoid damage to my creatures?

Every Korrit you have that may Pack Hunt may be involved in the same attack. In your scenario, they would all be Pack Hunting with the Parmalag, the creature actually making an 'attack' as defined within the rules. This would count as all of their attacks for the turn, of course.

Does the Great Throne of Mushrooms allow the mage to pay one energy whenever a creature is discarded from play, including through combat, energy discard, or specific discard effects?

The Great Throne of Mushrooms triggers when a Creature leaves play and is placed into the discard pile by a 'discard' effect, such as being reduced to zero energy and discarded (e.g., in combat) or being directly discarded (e.g., by Shockwave). This includes creature defeat in combat, discarding via a Spell, Power, or Effect, or even discarding as a cost to use another card's ability. Therefore, it applies not only to 'specific discard' but also to any discard effect that results in the Creature being placed into the discard pile.

What is the starting energy for Kybar's Fang and Agram's Plaything, and what happens if spells that rely on starting energy are cast on them?

If a value is not printed on a card, such as starting energy for a Relic, then that value has a default of zero. You may still use cards to increase it above zero (like Bagala Fangs) as long as it is a Creature, and those effects will stick around until their duration passes, even if the Creature becomes a Relic again (though they still would be unable to gain energy if not a Creature).

I don't quite understand the multiple uses of the verb "attack". For example, Agrilla's effect says "Agrilla loses one less energy in attacks." Does this mean when Agrilla attacks, when he is attacked, or in all instances where he is involved in an attack as either defender or attacker? Similarly, Bungaloo's effect says "Whenever Bungaloo is defeated in an attack..." — does this only trigger when he is the defender, or also when he is the attacker?

Whenever a card effect does not differentiate whether or not the creature involved has to be attacking or defending, then it applies to every attack the creature is involved in. In both of your examples, the effects trigger whether the creature is the attacker or defender.

If my opponent casts Harmony, and I have an Arderian Guard Wings in play, are all my creatures above 5 reduced to 5 instead of 3?

Harmony will attempt to discard X energy from each Creature in play with more than three energy, where X = (Current energy - 3). Feathered Protection will reduce this amount on each of your Creatures by up to two, so effectively, all of your Creatures with five or less energy will lose nothing, and all of your other Creatures above five will be reduced to that amount.

Agram's Plaything's power, Puppetstrings, would trigger effects that look for energy gain, like Trask's Lifetap, right?

Yes; for this reason, Jip is a very effective counter to Kybar's Fang.

Crushing Fungus affects my magi, right?

Not necessarily; Crushing Fungus affects the Magi that controls the Creature discarded by it. For purposes of Climbing Staff (which is where I think this question was headed), however, the Crushing Spell has already affected a Creature. Since the Staff can only prevent actions that would affect 'only your Magi', you cannot use the Staff to stop Crushing Fungus.

Could you please write up the most current explanation on how move would work in situations where energy loss is prevented?

If the amount of energy that will be discarded by a move effect is reduced, then the amount added will be reduced by an appropriate amount.

If I cast Gloom against my opponent (discard all creatures, the controller may pay 1 energy or discard 1 card to save the creature), and he casts Spectral Shield, does the shield activate? My card did not force him to discard, it was his own choice. How about vs Gilded Cage?

Even if a card allows your opponent a choice of punishments (such as discarding a card or paying 1 energy), regardless of what they choose, you still control the effect, so you still 'force' it to happen (such as discarding a card). This means Spectral Shield will activate in response to the discard. Similarly, Gilded Cage would also trigger because the discard is forced by your effect, even though the opponent chooses how to satisfy it.

Can I use Scyalla's Pet Project again with a Mirror Pendant, Sorreah's Dream or any other card that allows me to copy my Magi's power?

You may use and copy Pet Project as much as you want; however, the Power itself specifically states that the effects will only benefit the same player once per game. All other uses of it (including copies) are wasted. This is because Pet Project, when used (or copied for the first time), also creates the condition that you may only "name a non-Hyren Creature type. Until the end of the game, all Creatures of the chosen type that you play are Weave instead of their original region" once per game. Specifically, this means that any other card effect you have that has the same exact effect as what's stated above (such as a copy or using Pet Project again) cannot give any benefit.

I have a Jile deck and I use Pet Project to convert all Jiles into Weave dream creatures and it says "all Jiles that I play." So, if I have a Chasm Jile in play and this one is attacked by another creature. Can I play any Jile from my hand? Even Chaos Jile?

Yes; when you play a Jile now, it is and always was a Weave Creature as soon as it leaves an out of play area and starts to enter the playing field.

If I have no spells in my discard pile, can I still add 1 energy to each of my creatures when using Orwin's Ring?

Yes, you can. If you have no spells in your discard pile, the statement "all of the spells in your discard pile are Naroom" is true by default (vacuous truth), so you gain the benefits of the ring.

If I have only one Shadow Geyser in play and my magi leaves play, do I discard it or not?

You may keep all but one of your Shadow Geysers; if you only have one in play, you may keep all of your others but that one Shadow Geyser. (Meaning that the lone geyser is indeed lost.)

Does Enhanced Invulnerability add one more to Rock Hyren's Invulnerability, or does Targ'n's effect not work on Rock Hyren because it is an effect that reduces energy loss in attacks?

Enhanced Invulnerability reduces damage itself; even if Invulnerability cannot be used, Enhanced Invulnerability would still reduce the energy loss of combat to those Invulnerable Creatures by one. But, since Enhanced Invulnerability reduces energy removal itself instead of just increasing the effectiveness of Invulnerability, Rock Hyren cannot benefit from it.

Can Tomes of the Great Library circumvent the restriction on crushing spells?

The restrictions on the Crushing cards are specific restrictions, not the regional restrictions described in the rulebook. Unless your Magi may already legally play them, you cannot play them with Research.

Can you get Shadow Gysers with Tomes without having to discard them?

Spells that stay in play still stay in play; you process any extra effects (such as shuffling it into the opponent's deck) once you finally discard it from play, either from spell resolution, Magi defeat, Beam of Light, and the like. Also note, you cannot play a Geyser unless you pay ALL costs (including discarded Creatures, Relics, cards in hand, etc).

If a player chooses 'Forest' as the creature type with Pet Project, can they play Forest Hyren as a Weave Creature?

Yes; design intent was only to restrict the broad range of all Hyrens. If Hyren incidentally fall into the Creature type named (such as with 'Forest'), then you get to play some Hyren as Weave Creatures.

Does Rayje's Sword negate only energy protection, or spell and power protection as well?

Piercing stops energy loss reduction; which interacts differently with varying levels of resistance. Creatures that are only immune to being discarded have no interaction at all with piercing. Creatures like Lovian are still immune to all other effects of Spells and Powers, with the only exception of energy discard.

If I put two Tunnel Hyrens in play, can Ainjer's Grr remove more than 2 energy from either? If so, does that negate all burrow effects and spells?

Grr can discard energy in excess of two against opposing Creatures with Burrow; in this case, your Tunnel Hyren is an opposing Creature. This doesn't negate Burrow, it just means that Burrow doesn't reduce the energy lost by Grr.

If I play Warrior's Boots and use them to play Ormagon, then use Ormagon's power, can my opponent respond with Bloom and Ambush to remove energy from Ormagon before its power resolves?

No, your opponent cannot successfully interrupt Ormagon's power with Bloom and Ambush. The Power must resolve completely before any response like Bloom can take effect. If they attempt to use Bloom in response to Devastate (Ormagon's power), the Bloomed spell cannot be used until after Devastate has fully resolved. By then, Ormagon may no longer have energy or even exist, especially if it was destroyed by its own ability.

I have noticed that a lot of Bograth cards have text that includes Core cards in them... Is there some new rule that allows Bograth magi to play Core cards, or vice versa?

No; the rules on non-Core Magi not being able to play Core cards have not changed. A Magi may play any card of their region(s) ignoring restrictions and penalties; many cards are Bograth/Core, and in that case, all of them can be played by Bograth Magi.

Some cards say "Starting: " and a Magi's name after them. What effect does this have on game play/deck construction/magi choice?

All of these cards are considered to be printed on the 'Starting:' line of the named Magi. For instance, Rayje can always get a Construct with his other starting cards.

When using Crushing Stench's effect to play a Bograth Creature from your hand with two energy instead of its starting energy, do you have to pay the cost to play that creature?

The creature is played, ignoring all costs. As a general rule, if a card doesn't mention an increase or decrease in the cost of the card, you do not have to pay for it. This applies to many alternate play cards in ND, including Ghazran and Crushing Stench. The notable exception is the Tomes of the Great Library.

How does Dazzle interact with Liriel's Cape when used on a creature like K'Teep Thumper that has Dreamwarp?

Dazzle increases the printed starting energy of your creatures with Dreamwarp by three while they are in play, meaning a K'Teep Thumper with a base starting energy of 4 would start with 7 energy. This does not affect the cost to play the creature or add energy upon entry; it only changes the starting energy value once the creature is in play. As a result, restorative cards like Dream Balm gain extra effect, while damaging cards like Ambush become more impactful.

If I use Hyren's Call to bring out a Vine Hyren and want to use its Dreamwarp effect to increase its starting energy by one, do I need to move an additional energy from my magi to the Vine Hyren to have it come out with 8 energy?

Hyren's Call allows you to ignore the costs of playing the Hyren. If you can Dreamwarp the Creature, then the Creature will gain the energy for free.

What happens if two players want to quill the same card, especially when considering that quilling occurs before any choices are made and how Obgren might affect this situation?

When effects occur simultaneously, the active player resolves first, followed by each player in the game's playing order. The active player's Overwrite resolves, then the next player's Overwrite.

If I have a Tropical Hyren in play and two Jungle Hyrens, and I cast Radiant Spring twice, does Hyren's Call allow me to bring a Vine Hyren into play with 24 energy for only 7 energy?

No, the total energy cost would be 45. Tropical Hyren increases each Dreamwarp by one, each Radiant Spring adds five to each Dreamwarp, and each Jungle Hyren allows Dreamwarping for two instead of one. The first Jungle Hyren's warp gives +13, the second also gives +13, and the Vine Hyren's own Dream Warp gives +12, resulting in a 45 energy cost. This is not broken due to the high card investment required and vulnerability to effects like Shockwave.

Can I use Brush Fire from my discard pile to satisfy the FireFly Amulet's discard requirement?

No; you may only play Brush Fire as if it were in your hand, meaning it cannot be used directly from the discard pile for requirements like those of the FireFly Amulet.

Can the Rod of Coals be used with Abraxin's Crown to snuff out a magi, given that Orwin's Ring discards Magi from play and sets precedence for discarding Magi?

No; Abraxin's Crown only applies to energy discard effects. Though Rod of Coals checks energy totals, it still is a specific discard effect, not energy discard.

Do you have to have a magi in play to process discard-from-hand-to-prevent-something effects (like Crown, Fangs, Climbing Staff)? If not, how does discarding Fangs from your hand to prevent your opponent from discarding cards from hand work if there's no magi in play to follow the 'until this magi is defeated' clause?

Such cards with discard activated effects are never played; you reveal the text to the opponent that explains why you are discarding it, or what benefit you are getting for it being discarded, then you place it in the discard pile. If you have such a card effect that refers to 'until your Magi is defeated', and you have no active Magi, then the effect fizzles, since it cannot complete its action (giving your active Magi immunity to discard effects). With regards to cards like Climbing Staff, you cannot use its Effect if you do not have an active Magi. All Powers and Effects on Relics are used by their controller's active Magi; without a Magi active, you cannot use the Effect, just as the Magi could not use Climbing Staff in this manner if they could not use the Powers and Effects on their Relics (if they were pinned by Crushing Heat, for instance).

Can I use Climbing Staff or similar cards if I have no active Magi?

Yes, you can use Climbing Staff and similar effects even if you have no active Magi.

On Kyber's Teeth creatures, Invulnerability says "takes one less damage during attacks." Is this only when the creature attacks, or does it also apply when the creature is attacked?

If the phrase "when attacking" or "when attacked" is not on the effect to make a distinction, then the effect applies whenever the creature is attacking or defending. In regards to Invulnerability, yes, the creature takes one less energy whether it is the attacker or defender.

How does the regional penalty affect multi-regional creatures and magi? If my magi is from one of the two regions on a multi-region card, do they not pay the penalty? What about multi-regional magi—for example, if a magi is Naroom/Orothe, can they play cards from both regions without the penalty?

A Magi may play cards of any of their specified regions, ignoring regional restrictions and penalties. Your friend's Weave/Naroom Magi can play Naroom, Weave, Weave/Cald, Core cards playable by Naroom Magi, and any other card normally playable by any Naroom or Weave Magi. As for only having one region in its template, this is so that players who prefer the look of a specific region, or would like to keep their Magi appearance consistent (for instance, in an otherwise single-region deck).

For the spell Nightmares Dawn, does the Magi itself count as a card from their region, or do I need another card?

The Magi does not have itself in play; the Magi's cards in play are their Spells (if not discarded when used), Creatures, and Relics. These are what count for Nightmare's Dawn.

I have a belt in play and I belt my opponent's 'bad power'. Their Magi is defeated, and the card with 'bad power' leaves play. Their next Magi plays another card with 'bad power'. Is the 'bad power' still locked down?

Lockdown does not depend on the offending Power or Effect remaining in play, and does not 'shut off' until the Belt itself leaves play or the duration of Lockdown ends. As such, if your opponent has, for instance, Evu in play, and you Lockdown Lore before defeating him, the opponent could not then reveal their Magi next turn then play and use Book of Ages.

How does Dreamwarp work on a creature like Rala from Paradwyn?

Whenever you play a Creature with Dreamwarp, you may choose to play it with its printed starting energy increased or decreased by one (to a minimum of one). Increasing the starting energy raises both the cost to play and the amount of energy the creature enters play with by one. Decreasing it lowers both the cost and the energy it enters play with by one. Regardless of your choice, at the end of that turn, the creature's starting energy returns to the number printed on the card. Note that changing the starting energy does not affect the creature's current energy.

Does the Alpine Xamf's effect apply to the first Alpine Xamf played, and do its effects stack with those of Robe of Vines?

Alpine Xamf's effect does not apply to the first Alpine Xamf played because the effect triggers when the Xamf enters play, which is too late for it to gain additional energy. Unless noted otherwise in the description, effects that act similarly—such as those from Robe of Vines and Alpine Xamf—do stack.

Does Abraxin's Crown's Dreamburn effect allow me to target a Magi instead of a Creature when playing spells or powers that normally require targeting a single Creature, such as Firefly Swarm or discarding a Cald card to Firefly Amulet?

Yes, as long as the Magi is otherwise eligible (for instance, not Cald in the case of Firefly Swarm), you may target a Magi instead of a Creature. However, since Magi do not attack but their Creatures do, the other effects of the Firefly cards that rely on attacking are not applicable.

How does Crushing Heat interact with the Climbing Staff's effect when there is no active magi, given that the Climbing Staff's effect doesn't require a magi to use it?

There has been some inconsistency in previous rulings, and that's cleared up with this simple rule: If a card has 'game text' (like TJ, AC, or Underlord's Shield) you do not need an active Magi to play the card. You need an active Magi to use any 'Effect' on a card, even the ones in your hand (this means you cannot play Climbing Staff from your hand while you have no active Magi).

Can Abraxin's Crown be discarded for Storm of Fishes if they pick Relics?

Yes; if you played the Storm, then nothing happens. If the opponent played the Storm, you may discard the Crown "instead" of another of your Relics, as well as getting the benefit from it.

Does Flame Hyren's power 'Energy Transfer' count as 'energy gain' for creatures receiving its energy, or does it count as 'rearrange' like Flame Control? Specifically, would it trigger effects that go off when something gains energy, such as Nara's Rare Spirit?

Flame Hyren adds energy to the creatures you distribute its energy to. This would not trigger Nara's Rare Spirit, however, as that only works with Cald Spells.

With the new Motash Staff wording, does it still work with D'Jarvish when a creature burrow or Illusionary is being discarded?

D'Jarvish's effect is a replacement effect; the creature is returned to the hand instead of discarded, but the source of that action is still the opposing card. If the opponent Shockwaved one of D'Jarvish's Pylofufs (or any other eligible creature) while he had Motash's Staff in play, he would still get the energy that the creature had returned to him.

I want to know if Korrits are affected by Rayje's Sword Piercing effect? And if the korrit is affected, how is damage divided? For example, if there is a Rayje's Sword in play and I have a 3 energy Parmaleg and a 5 energy Giant Korrit. My opponent has an 8 energy Yarothis. So I attack with my Parmaleg and my Giant Korrit joins the attack. Does the Giant Korrit lose energy? How much energy will it lose since Parmaleg was also attacking? Is the energy divided in any way? Are both of my creatures discarded?

As far as the rules are concerned, Pack Hunt gives the Korrits an additional time when they can attack, but otherwise, it is still an attack in and of itself. Pack Hunt also reduces the energy lost by the Korrit in the attack to zero. Normally, the defending creature assigns its energy total to be removed from all attacking creatures in the attack, as per the rules. Then, Pack Hunt reduces the energy to be removed from the Korrits to zero. With Piercing in effect, Pack Hunt cannot reduce the energy loss. Example: Piercing is in effect, and I attack my opponent's 5E Junjertrug with my 3E Bisiwog and Pack Hunt with my 5E Giant Korrit. Normally, the Junjertrug would lose 8E, the Bisiwog 5E, and the Giant Korrit nothing. However, since energy loss cannot be reduced, the Junjertrug discards 5E from the Giant Korrit as well. Final result: I lose my Giant Korrit and Bisiwog defeating your Junjertrug.

If a core player casts Spectral Shield and then his Grim Goblet is discarded from play, would the shield take effect?

No, because an opposing card is not causing the cards to be discarded from their hand.

If an effect is mandatory (does not say 'may'), does the player have to use it at the beginning of their turn, or can they use it at any time during their turn as long as they use it once per turn?

Effects, as long as you may use them, are always triggered whenever the conditions for them are met. These conditions can be as general as "whenever a Creature enters play" or so specific as "whenever you play a Naroom Creature." Whatever the case, if the Effect does not say that you "may" do it, or does not list a limited number of times to do it (such as once per turn), then you must carry out the instructions of the Effect each time its conditions are met, even if it's your Effect and you don't want to.

When you play multiple Spectral Shields, do their effects stack?

Unless otherwise noted in the text of the card, all card effects stack, even redundant ones. You would get two draws for each one card lost.

If a Magi has a dual region creature in play, such as a Flame Rudwot (Naroom/Cald), and then casts Nightmare's Dawn, would the Magi gain five energy?

Yes, the Magi would gain five energy. Dual-region cards are always considered to be both of their regions. If you are comparing regions of cards, and at least one region is a match, the cards are considered to be from the same region. In this case, Pruitt's Flame Rudwot is considered to be of Pruitt's region. The same would be true of Tryn Flamesaver's (Naroom/Cald) Bungaloo (Naroom/Weave).

How does Abwyn's Quill interact with cards that list the same region multiple times? Will all instances of the region be changed or just one?

Overwrite will replace all instances of the region in the Spell or Power.

Can an opponent use their Quill to "Overwrite" something that I have already overwritten?

Both Overwrites will be triggered simultaneously; they will resolve in play order, beginning with the active player. This means that your Overwrite would resolve, letting you change the named region as you wish, then the opponent's will resolve, and they can Overwrite what you have just overwritten.

Who plays cards in the game, and who uses powers and effects on relics?

All cards are played by Magi. Magi themselves are never 'played'. Powers and Effects, as well as Creatures and Magi, come from those specific cards. While you need a Magi in play to use a Power or Effect on a Relic, the Relic itself is still the source of the Power or Effect. If a card prevents a Magi from using Powers or Effects, but doesn't specifically state that the Magi can't use Powers or Effects on Relics, then the Relics can still be used. For example, Sandswirl states 'The chosen Creature or Magi cannot use Powers or Effects...', while Crushing Heat states 'the creature's Magi cannot use Powers or Effects or P/E on their Relics...'

Does Climbing Staff work against Entangle or Eclipse?

Climbing Staff does not work against Eclipse because Eclipse affects the Creatures of a specific Magi rather than the Magi directly, meaning appropriate Resistance could allow Creatures to attack. However, Climbing Staff does work against Entangle since Entangle affects the Magi directly.

What do you do if you lockdown your opponent's Lockdown?

Locking Down Lockdown does not stop the effects of the first Lockdown; that would create a messy infinite loop. All this means is that your opponent will get no benefit from their Belt on their next turn, but you will get none from yours on your next turn either.

When a creature has the text '...removes x additional damage in attacks', is this additional energy removal affected by abilities like Burrow or Dodge?

The additional energy removal is added to the amount assigned to be removed normally by the attack, and can still be capped by Burrow and similar effects.

If my opponent is Kyg'n and I have a Taglat with no energy on my magi, and my Taglat Dream Crosses True Grit and suicides into an opposing creature, is my magi defeated?

True Grit would still only state "Kyg'n cannot be defeated", etc. Dream Cross only replaces the text in self-referential POWERS; Effects are copied as is. The Taglat, then subsequently the Magi, would be defeated.

If my opponents are Kyg'n and M'rika, I have a Taglat and a Rala in play, and my Taglat Dream Crosses True Grit and Interchange, runs into an opposing creature, and is at zero energy at the end of my turn, does my magi go face down and do I bring a new magi with their SE?

Again, the Effects would still reference their appropriate Magi; the Dream Crosses would be wasted.

If I have D'Jarvish and a burrow Sikra and I attack with it and survive, does Sikra gain 1 or 2 energy from D'Jarvish's effect? The Sikra is Illusionary and also burrow.

D'Jarvish's Power gives one energy to each Creature that is either burrowed or illusionary or both. Sikra would gain one energy.

If I have a Pylofuf and an Urigant in play, and the Urigant states that all other burrow creatures lose energy as normal in attacks, does this mean my Pylofuf cannot benefit from any reducing energy effects or abilities like Digging Mastery from Gyrg?

Because Dig Up is specific to burrowed creatures, then not even Digging Mastery's protection will apply; the Pylofuf takes full energy loss from attacks.

If you have a Shadow Geyser along with an Awakening in play and someone uses Beam of Light to remove both the Awakening and the Shadow Geyser, would the Awakening still allow the Shadow Geyser to return at the end of the turn?

Beam of Light removes all its chosen cards at the same time. Awakening's protection does not activate until immediately after the Geyser has left play; by that time, there will be no Awakening in play to protect it.

If my opponent discards my Tomorrow's Jewel from my hand or from play, and I decide to play it instead, do I have to pay the cost of one energy?

No; you may play it without paying any costs.

Does the card text of Tomorrow's Jewel take priority over normal powers and effects on cards? If so, how would it interact with an Inhibitor Band played by my opponent? Would I be able to play it again or would it end up in the discard pile?

The Jewel would be discarded, then Universal Lock would prevent it from re-entering play. Card text or not, if you are forbidden from playing Universal Relics, then you cannot play Tomorrow's Jewel.

What happens when my opponent takes control of my Tomorrow's Jewel with a Hubdra's Cube, and I discard the Cube from play? Would they be able to play it instead and keep control of the Jewel? What if they took control via Crushing Surf and I tried to discard the Jewel?

The opponent would have the option of playing the Jewel, because they control it, and it would then enter play permanently under their control (though you would still own it).

Is there a ruling for only being able to shuffle your discard pile once per game once you run out of your deck? (Barring a Koil-like effect)

If your deck runs out of cards, you may shuffle your discard pile into it only once each turn, and only during the Draw step. This may happen many times in one game.

If I have a Baby Furok and my opponent has a Krawg, will Krawg's Immunity go right through the Cuddly-Wuddly if he attacks the Baby?

Cuddly Wuddly affects the Baby Furok, not the Krawg; the energy loss would still be prevented.

If you have a Hurricane Orish in play and the opponent Shockwaves it, does it still add 3 energy to your Magi? How/when do your Effects resolve when an opponent casts a Spell?

The Magi would gain three energy; the energy is gained as soon as you know the card played is a Spell or Relic, before any effects of playing the card take place.

If you Entomb any Crushing spell, can the original Magi still play it due to the "Only (insert region) Magi may play Crushing(whatever)" text?

Restrictions are technically also allowances; Entombed or not, Crushing Spells (Darkness excluded) may only be played by their appropriate Magi, though they would have to pay a regional penalty if the Spell were Core.

Can non-core magi play Crushing Darkness if they have a card to play core spells, such as Cleansing, Urhail, or Mantle of Shadows?

Yes; unlike the other Crushing Spells, Darkness only restricts a certain group of Magi from playing it instead of allowing only a certain group.

Can Tomes of the Great Library bring spells like Crushing Fungus or Crushing Heat into play?

Only if the Magi could get around the restriction of the Spell (such as being an Underneath, or Cald Magi), not likely since the Tomes would likely discard themselves if that were the case.

If I change 'bograth' on Creeping Chill to arderial with the Quill, will it convert back to bograth at the end of my turn, or will the arderial stay in place as long as the Creeping Chill stays in effect?

Overwrite's effects last only until the end of the turn, even if the Spell lasts longer.

In regards to the Korrit ruling, why is the power of the defending creature doubled to remove its energy from both creatures? Why wouldn't it remove X energy from the first creature and the remainder from the second, or why doesn't the defender have the choice where the damage goes?

It's not; the rules simply state that attacking creatures remove their energy from defending creatures in attacks, and vice-versa; it's understood that this encompasses all attackers and defenders, so that if you somehow have more than one attacker and defender in an attack, there is nothing messy such as energy loss distribution, etc.

Does discarding a creature as part of a cost prevent it from being 'staffed', including effects like Dark Ayebaw's Implode?

No; discarding the Creature to Impact is not a cost, and that is why you cannot 'Staff' it; Dark Ayebaw's Implosion and the like, however, can be prevented.

Does using Ups/Downs, Shriveled Dreams, or Grand Nightmares change the current energy on a creature when Bagala Fang's or Slime Stone powers are involved?

No; current energy and starting energy are independent of each other once the creature enters play unless another card effect connects them somehow (such as restoring to starting energy).

If Player A uses Tree Hinko's Invigorate power to enable their magi to energize more next turn, and Player B casts Beam of Light on the weakened Tree Hinko, discarding it from play, does the Magi still receive the benefit of the Invigorate power?

The effects of Invigorate would be cancelled and the Magi would not receive the energy.

Does Scroll of Fire's Pyromancy effect apply when multiple creatures discard energy due to an ability like Fire Chogo's Heat Storm?

Scroll of Fire's Pyromancy does not require that the spell or power have a single target; therefore, Heat Storm would cause the additional energy to be discarded from every non-Cald creature in play.

If a magi has starting cards, can you only get one of each starting card?

You may only get one of each printed starting card, yes.

If Sorreah has her two starting spells, can they be the same or must they be different?

Sorreah may choose two Arderial Spells, but since none are named, he may take the same one twice, if available, though he must still follow all rules of gathering starting cards by checking the discard pile first.

If a card is starting for a magi but isn't in their starting card list, can you pull only one or could you pull all of them from your deck?

A card with "STARTING: xxxx" is printed on xxxx Magi's starting line, so only one may be retrieved.

Can Gia use her Unearth ability to play any relic from her deck, including regions relics?

Gia may only play relics with Unearth that she could legally play under normal circumstances; this generally applies only to Universal and Weave relics. She does not pay any cost for playing the relics, but unless a card specifies 'regardless of region,' she cannot play relics from other regions.

If a dual region card like Hurricane Orish is in play, can I play a Spray Narth for free since there is one other creature in play that satisfies the condition?

Whenever a dual-region card's region is referenced, if it is of that region, it counts as only that region and not both; it counts as either needed, so the card suffers all benefits and drawbacks of being each region.

If I have Bubble XyX in play and want to play Hurricane Orish with Voice as my Magi, would Bubble XyX cause the Magi's power to trigger on both regions even though it doesn't meet the truthful requirement of having two different region cards in play?

If you have played a dual-region Arderial/Orothe creature with Voice of the Storm, then each of your Arderial/Orothe creatures cost two less for the remainder of the turn.

Since a dual-region card is always considered one of its regions when referenced, does this create game play issues for decks like Voice Speed, and shouldn't there be a downside for these cheaper cards that lack regional penalties?

Typhoon will not discard energy from Arderial/Orothe creatures because they are Orothe when Typhoon checks them.

Can I play Bloom after my opponent plays a spell, then choose not to play a power or spell? For example, if I'm at 1 energy and my opponent is about to destroy all my creatures but leave me alive, can I use Bloom to force them to choose between keeping one of my creatures alive or killing me off that turn without leaving me at 1 energy?

No; because using a Power or Spell is not optional with Bloom, you could not play it then not use a Power or Spell. If you play Bloom and have no Powers or Spells to play, you must take back the playing of the Bloom (and get that energy back).

What happens when I play two or more Blooms? Do I have to announce them all at once, followed by the spells I'm playing because of them in the order I choose?

You may only play one Bloom in response to each of your opponent's actions, as Bloom states that it must be played 'immediately after' your opponent does one of the listed actions. By the time you have processed one Bloom, it is no longer 'Immediately after' the original action took place.

I was wondering if someone could explain the Paradwyn effect "Dreamwarp" to me. I know this may sound like a silly request, but I find the effect confusing and fail to see the point of it.

Please refer to old Rules Digests for the answer to this question (http://www.magiduel.com, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MagiNation/). Search for 'Rules Digest' and 'Dreamwarp'.

May I draw an extra card at the end of my turn from Warrada's Ring if I use Korremar's power?

No; there is no Draw step to draw the extra card with.

If I have a Hubras Cube and I steal a relic with it that I already own, is it discarded or do I just get a copy of that relic?

You cannot gain control of a Relic if you already control a card of the same name; the theft would fizzle.

If I have a Nkala and Bahzra's Pendant in play, Bloom in hand, and 0e on my Magi, and my opponent plays a relic, can I choose the order to use the triggered effects from Bahzra's Pendant and Bloom, even though both say 'immediately after'?

Yes, you may choose the order in which to resolve the triggered effects. Although both effects state 'immediately after,' they are separate triggers that can be ordered by the player whose turn it is. This means you can use Bahzra's Pendant to Support with Nkala to 1e first, then use Bloom to play another power on one of your other cards in play.

Does the word 'immediately' have any real timing importance? For example, if I have a Phrup in play and Bloom in hand, and my opponent plays Tomorrow's Jewel triggering both Bloom and Phrup, can I choose to resolve Phrup before Bloom (which is more advantageous), even though Phrup does not say 'immediately'?

Yes, you may choose the order of resolution. Since Phrup does not have an 'immediately after' restriction, it can be resolved at any time during the appropriate window, allowing you to use Phrup first if desired. However, Bloom must be played immediately after your opponent's action and cannot be delayed.

If I have two Blooms in hand and my opponent plays a relic, do I have to play Bloom, spell/power, Bloom, spell/power or can I play both Blooms before using any spells or powers?

You may only play one Bloom in response to each of your opponent's actions. Since Bloom must be played 'immediately after' your opponent performs an action, you cannot use a second Bloom once the first has been resolved—by then, it is no longer 'immediately after' the original action.

If my opponent plays a spell such as Shockwave on my Hurricane Orish, can I trigger Hurricane Orish's Spell Drain (adding 3 energy to my magi) and also trigger Phrup's Time Lapse?

Phrup must be used before the opposing card enters play and before any of its effects resolve; therefore, if you Phrup your opponent's card, no effects that would trigger from it coming into play or being played will occur.

What is considered the 'last' turn for K'teeb Thumper's 'Thump' power when using it during my opponent's turn, especially in cases where Paradwyn spells or relics allow me to use a power on my opponent's turn?

During X player's last turn means During X player's last completed turn. This means you could still only Dreamthump something that had used a Power on your opponent's last turn, not something that has used one during the current turn.

I noticed in the new rules digest that it has been ruled that you can only bloom/athletic/pendant once to an opponent's action. I just wanted to make sure that this is a reversal to the previous ruling that you could do it multiple times.

Any rulings change in the most recent rules digest to previous rulings are official reversals, unless otherwise noted.

Can Climbing Staff negate Impact, since it is "affecting" a creature?

No; Impact is not worded so that the discard is an additional cost, so the Creature is affected, making Impact immune to Climbing Staff.

Which interpretation is correct for the Drought card effect: does it prevent only cards in play when Drought was played from energizing next time, or does it apply to any card energizing during the next energize step regardless of when it entered play?

Drought stops all cards in play under a player's control from gaining energy the next time that the player must energize, whether it is during the energize step or from a card such as Flood of Energy. It applies to every card in play during that next energize action, even ones that were not in play when Drought was played. This prevents players from bypassing the effect by Interchanging, defeating their Magi, or otherwise changing their board state before the next energize step.

If D'Jarvish has Motash Staff in play with 3 Pylofuf and 2 Sikra, and my opponent uses Cataclysm, do all creatures return to hand, and does D'Jarvish gain the energy from them despite both the creatures and Motash Staff being discarded at the same time?

All of the Illusionary and Burrowed Creatures will return to your hand, and D'Jarvish will gain the energy from all of them.

A. My friend has Yricho's Staff in play. I play an Ormagon and a few other Underneath Creatures. When I use Devastate, does Yricho's Staff prevent one or all creatures from being discarded... or how does that work?

Yricho's Staff checks to save the Creatures one at a time, and the controller chooses the order. Energy is paid for each one saved, making the next Creature harder to save.

B. Quick question: I've seen in various posts throughout the listserve but I can't seem to find the ruling; can Devastate be prevented/changed/stopped by Um...NO!?

No; Um...NO! may only stop discard from Spells.

Is 'Universal' actually a region, or is it just the absence of region? More specifically, can I use Abwyn's Quill to change something from Weave to Universal?

Universal is a region, just as any other.

Does Evil Evu, who starts with the card "Furok," get to choose Dark Furok as his starting card since it is an alternate Furok?

Yes, just as Tony Jones, Sperri, Yaki, Eidon, and others that start with Furok can.

Does Bagala's effect 'Pack Charge' include the attacking Bagala when counting how many energy to add?

Yes, this counts all Bagalas, meaning that the Bagala will always gain at least one energy every time it attacks.

Can Spore Vashp's True Form power allow me to choose two copies of the same Underneath creature from my discard pile, such as two Pylofufs?

No, you must choose two different Underneath creatures from your discard pile; you cannot select two copies of the same card, even if you have multiple copies in your discard pile.

If I search my deck with Tomes of the Great Library and find no spell, can I then search my opponent's discard pile?

No, if you find no Spell where you look, then you cannot use the rest of Research.

When using Tomes of the Great Library, do I have to pay the full cost to play a spell after selecting it?

Yes, you must pay all costs for the Spell, including regional penalties.

Can Phrup stop the discard of a Climbing Staff to prevent damage?

Yes, Phrup can stop the discard of a Climbing Staff to prevent damage because using the Climbing Staff's Effect is considered 'playing' the card. In MND, playing a card includes discarding it from your hand and following its instructions, which is exactly how Climbing Staff works. Any card that uses an effect to emulate this action is treated as being played and can be targeted by Phrup. Cards that use rules text instead of effects for similar actions are not considered 'played' and cannot be stopped by Phrup.

In the first situation, if Player A plays Corrupt and then Player B plays their own Corrupt during their turn, whose Corrupt resolves when a creature is played?

Both Corrupts are triggered and discarded.

If Player A was the one to play a creature while both Corrupts were in play, who gains control of the creature that Player A paid for?

The inactive player's Corrupt would win out. The active player's Corrupt resolves first, giving them control of the creature, then the inactive player's Corrupt resolves, leaving it under their control.

In the second situation, if Player A plays Storm of Fishes and Player B has both Moob Ring and Abraxin's Crown in hand, can Player B discard the Abraxin's Crown first and then the Moob Ring in response to Storm of Fishes?

All cards are discarded simultaneously; you may choose to discard the Crown and Ring instead of two other Relics to save them, but since the discard is simultaneous, the Moob Ring's anti-discard effect will not prevent the rest of your Relics from being discarded.

If you play a spell from your draw pile using Tomes of the Great Library and the spell says to place it on the table (e.g., Shadow Geysers) or on a creature (e.g., Dream Channel), will Tomes still discard the spell?

The Tomes have been clarified to allow Spells that stay in play to remain as long as they are supposed to.

Sorreah starts with any 2 Arderial spells and also Sorreah's Dream. How many Sorreah's Dreams can you get when you reveal Sorreah? If you go through your discard pile for starting cards and come across a Sorreah's Dream, can you claim it as your starting Sorreah's Dream (due to the Starting: Sorreah text) and then search your draw pile for one or two more different Arderial Spells?

The first Sorreah's Dream in your discard pile may be claimed as your Sorreah's Dream for starting, instead of one of your Arderial Spells, even if this now allows you to search your deck for two more, different Arderial Spells.

Can I stack the effects from a Gia Pet if I have multiple in play?

The effect should be treated as if it has the following line on the end: 'Only one copy of this effect may prevent players from drawing cards.'

If a controlled Eebit is killed during an attack, does it return to its owner's hand or get discarded?

The Eebit returns to its owner's hand, not its controller's.

Can Korg & Zet play Korg's Poetry if Korg's Poetry states that Korg can play it, even though the Dual Magi card prevents them from playing relics?

Korg is Korg is Korg; Korg & Zet is just as much Korg as Korg or All-High King Korg is, so they may play Korg's Poetry (much to Zet's chagrin at having to hear him recite it).

Does Beam of Light discard 2 relics, 2 spells, and 2 creatures with 2 or less energy?

Choose up to two cards that are a Relic, Spell, or Creature with less than two energy and discard them from play.

If Player 1 casts Nightmare's Dawn, does Player 2 receive the extra five energy on their Magi?

Yes, Player 2's Magi receives the energy. A Weave/Naroom Baby Furok is always considered a Weave card, so it counts as being the same region as the Weave Magi. Nightmare's Dawn checks each Magi: if all cards that Magi controls are of that Magi's region, then the Magi gains five energy. The Baby Furok answers 'Yes' when asked if it is a Weave card, so Player 2's Magi qualifies.

If my magi is Bo'ahsa, and I have 3 Speags in play, and one of them is attacked, can I resolve my effects in this order: Trigger all of my speags 'Effect-Watch:', trigger Bo'ahsa's 'Effect-Weave Tactics:' to switch a different speag in as defender, then trigger all of my speags 'Effect-Watch:' again? Or does Bo'ahsa's effect trigger before anything else does?

Weave Tactics and Watch are triggered simultaneously and resolve in the order you choose. When you switch defenders with Weave Tactics, you reset all steps of the attack, and all Speags gain two energy again because the defender is different. If you switched back to the original defender after using Weave Tactics, the Speags would not trigger again, as effects do not retrigger in an attack unless the attacker or defender changes to something that has not been the attacker or defender yet in the current attack.

If I have an effect that triggers on opposing turns, and this effect triggers another effect which also triggers another, can I use all of my effects that triggered, or do I only get to use one in response to my opponent's action? For example: Weave an energy to Weave Hyren, then activate Wild Growth, then activate another Wild Growth.

You resolve them as they are triggered: first, Weave triggers and resolves, then the first Wild Growth, then the second Wild Growth. If your opponent has any effects with the same triggers as yours, you must wait for their effects to resolve before resolving yours, which could interrupt your chain (for example, if their effect discards the source of your second Wild Growth, which wouldn't have triggered yet since the energy had not been added from the first).

When I play a Sandswirl and pay 1 energy to use it, does it last for just my turn or is it also in effect for my opponent's next turn?

Sandswirl lasts for the next X turns and starts to take effect as soon as it is played; if X equals one, then its effects will end at the end of the turn after it was played.

Does Giant Chogus's Big Chill effect prevent creatures from gaining energy above their starting energy, and does this include effects like energizing that are not considered 'energy gain' in the game rules?

While Big Chill is in effect, creatures cannot gain energy past their starting energy. Since energizing is not considered gaining energy, a creature like a Rabbage can still energize beyond its starting energy.

When energy removal is altered by another card in play, what aspect of the game is being affected—source, target, or does it depend on context?

The energy loss itself is being affected, not the source or the target. For example, if a Rock Hyren has Invulnerability and is targeted by an effect that causes energy loss, such as Tar Hyren's ability, the Invulnerability will prevent that energy loss.

If Player A has just played a Storm of Fishes and has called Spells, and Player B has both an Abraxin's Crown and a Moob Ring in hand, can Player B first discard the Abraxin's Crown and then the Moob Ring in response to Player A's attempt to force Player B to discard cards from their hand?

When forced to discard one or more cards from hand, Player B may choose to discard either the Abraxin's Crown or the Moob Ring instead of any other cards. However, once a card is discarded this way, the discard effect ends and no further discards occur, so Player B cannot discard both cards in response. The Moob Ring's anti-discard effect does not activate after the initial discard because the effect has already been resolved by choosing to discard one relic instead.

Does the word 'instead' on both the Abraxin's Crown and Moob Ring mean that discarding one of them only saves a single card from being discarded, or does it completely negate the spell, power, or effect causing the discard?

The word 'instead' means that discarding either the Abraxin's Crown or the Moob Ring fully replaces the required discard action. It allows the player to avoid discarding any other cards in hand due to the effect—effectively saving all other cards in hand from being discarded. The entire discard effect is negated for those cards by sacrificing one relic.

If Player A plays Brushfire from their discard pile and Player B cancels it with Phrup, does the Brushfire return to Player A's hand?

Yes, the Brushfire would be placed back into Player A's hand, even if played from the discard pile; this would be true for any card played from an out-of-play area other than the opposing player's hand, as Time Lapse lacks the 'plays a card from their hand' clause.

In a game of Jile Deck with Nara as my magi, if my friend plays Will of Orothe targeting me, can they control whether my Jiles can attack?

Will of Orothe affects the Creatures in play on the chosen player's side of the table; Resistance to Orothe Spells will prevent your opponent from manipulating them, and let you use their Powers.

Can Player 1 use Abraxin's Crown to force Player 2's 3-energy Pylofuf to pay the 4 energy cost for Shatterfire?

Yes, but you must declare your choice of creature to pay the 4 energy before your opponent decides whether to discard the Relic or not.

If I bring in a cleansed Wudge, does the Wudge get an energy for Kybar's Fang relic when it becomes a creature? On the same note, does Wudge gain an energy for Agram's Plaything becoming a creature?

Whenever a Relic becomes a Creature, it has already been in play as a Relic and does not trigger any 'enter play' effects.

Can I entomb Cleansing or is that protected?

Yes, Cleansing may be Entombed, as Entomb may be Cleansed; some games even end up being races to be the first to remove the opponent's denial. The recent errata to Cleansing and Entomb protects only the text, not the region, of those cards.

Can I use the card Loaded Dice when using Cragnok or Greater Vaal, which already require rolling two dice? If so, can I discard two energy to roll four dice and choose the two best results?

Yes, you may use Loaded Dice with Cragnok or Greater Vaal, but you must pay one energy per single die you wish to 'split' into two rolls, and you must roll each pair separately—meaning you cannot roll all four dice at once and pick the best two; instead, you roll two dice, choose one result, then roll another two dice and choose one result.

If I have no other weave creatures in play, can I still use Aritex? If not, can I K'teeb it and discard Aritex from play as my weave creature?

Aritex's Power may only be used if there's another Weave Creature in play to discard to it; if K'Teeb copies it, then you may discard the Aritex, because it is "an other Weave Creature".

Since discarding from the hand is still considered 'playing', does Tuku's ability preventing magi from playing non-universal relics also prevent them from discarding such relics from their hand, and how does this relate to cards like Climbing Staff and Abraxin's Crown?

Any Effect that emulates playing a card (either putting it into play [Creature/Relic], or processing actions on a card in your hand and then discarding that card [Spell]) is considered 'playing the card'. Any Game text that does this is not considered playing the card, since rules text has always been above and beyond the reach of normal card interactions. In this case, since Tuku prevents you from playing non-Universal Relics, you could not use a Climbing Staff while his restriction was in effect, though you could use Abraxin's Crown.

Will of Orothe states '.... the chosen opponent's Creatures may not use powers.' Rockslide Hyren states '.... Opposing cards do not affect Crush when it is used and cannot alter the amount of energy discarded by Crush.' What takes precedence? Do you have to be able to use Crush to get the benefit of no cards affecting it, or does the fact that no cards can affect it allow it to be played after Will of Orothe targets you?

The key phrase in Crush is 'when it is used'. If it can't be used (such as when it is Locked Down), then its self-protection cannot help it. Will of Orothe will stop it without problem.

I have a Krawg with 4 energy and Rayje's Shield in play. I'm planning to attack a creature with 4 energy. Krawg says that when it attacks I draw a card. So Rayje's Shield will activate and I will add 1 energy to Krawg, giving it 5 energy. Will Krawg survive the attack?

The card is drawn when the attack is declared, and the energy is added immediately. The Krawg will survive with one energy.

Do multi-region creatures trigger Eryss's Discordia if their magi is of at least one of those regions?

No, the creature survives because the creature is of the region of the magi playing it.

If I use Tasia's Weave and allow Tasia to receive energy, can Tasia benefit from Quallon's Rapid Charge?

No, Tasia cannot benefit from Rapid Charge because Rapid Charge requires the movement of energy between two Creatures in play, and Tasia is not a Creature. Even though Tasia's Weave triggers under similar conditions, Rapid Charge specifically checks that both the source and recipient are Creatures at all times, which is not satisfied when Tasia is involved.

If I have Tomorrow's Jewel in play and my opponent plays Inhibitor Band, does Tomorrow's Jewel remain in play due to its new text?

Yes, Tomorrow's Jewel remains in play because it is immune to being discarded or having control taken by opposing cards, as stated in its effect.

If I have Relic Mirror and at least one other Universal Relic in play, and my opponent plays Inhibitor Band, can I discard Relic Mirror to save the other Universal Relic?

Yes, you can discard Relic Mirror before Inhibitor Band's effect resolves to save another Universal Relic, as Relic Mirror's ability triggers before the targeted relics are discarded.

What does the phrase "discarded from play by an opposing card" cover in the errata for Ullig, Kybar's Echo & Deep Wellisk?

Treat cards that use the phrase "specific discard" as instead saying "discarded while it has energy." Being directly discarded by a discard effect (such as Shockwave) or being discarded from play as a result of losing all energy from an opposing card (including attacks, energy discard spells like Syphon Vortex, or effects like Rebuke that kill small KT creatures) all count as discards.

Can any Magi use the unnamed effect of the Climbing Staff relic, even if it is not from their Magi's region?

Yes, any Magi may use the unnamed effect of the Climbing Staff to discard it from their hand and protect their Magi or hand. The regional restrictions on playing Relics only apply when putting a Relic into play, not when using its effects.

How should Greater Gargagnor (Nightmare's Dawn) and Spectral Shield (Awakening) be corrected to align with proper text templating rules?

Greater Gargagnor (Nightmare's Dawn) and Spectral Shield (Awakening) should read 'opposing Spell, Power or Effect' rather than 'opposing card'.

What correction applies to the 'Undream' cards that were errata'd in July, including Motash's Staff, Updraft, Alaban Gloves, Mushroom Hyren, and Gruk?

These cards should reference printed starting energy.

What does the wording on Eye of the Storm mean? Does it mean I can't use Loaded Dice with it, or does it mean I can't play a non-existent card to make the number a six instead of a five?

The new text means that no card that changes the die roll (none yet exist) or that allows rerolls (Loaded Dice, Fate's Whimsy, etc.) can be used with Eye of the Storm.

If I use Fear (choose any one other creature; the chosen creature may attack twice this turn) on a creature, then use Roar (target creature removes twice as much energy from the defending creature next time it attacks) on the same creature, does the effect of Roar occur both times my creature attacks? Along the same thread, if I have a Yajo in play and use its power, does the creature who attacked twice get 6 energy?

The additional energy discard of Roar applies only to the next attack made; the second attack from Fear will not grant any additional bonuses. As for the Yajo's Power, it does not give three energy per attack made, it adds three energy based on the condition of the chosen creature having attacked that turn being true, so Fear will not affect this energy gain.

If I have a Relic Mirror and at least one other Universal Relic in play, and my opponent plays Inhibitor Band, can I sacrifice the Relic Mirror to save that Universal Relic (or at least one) as Inhibitor Band is played?

Yes. In order for the Relic Mirror to function properly, it must trigger before the Relic it would protect is discarded—just like Phrup triggers before a card hits the table. If your opponent plays Inhibitor Band, you can activate the Relic Mirror's ability to save another Universal Relic.

Can Relic Mirror save Rayje's Belt if both were affected by Beam of Light? The previous answer was "no" because both relics were hit by the spell and Relic Mirror was no longer in play when the discard effect resolved.

Relic Mirror's wording is awkward and will be corrected if reprinted. Until then, treat it as having the following text, which reflects design intent: "Effect - Trick Image: As an opposing Spell or Power that discards Relics from play would affect one of your other Relics in play, choose one of those Relics and discard Relic Mirror from play. The Spell or Power does not affect the chosen Relic." This matches the intended function of saving relics even from global destruction effects, which the current wording technically fails to do.

A K'teeb cub and a Leaf Hyren are in play. Can I use the K'teeb cub's power on the Leaf Hyren, then use the Leaf Hyren's power to transfer an amount of energy equal to its current energy, or does the Leaf Hyren have to lose energy for its power to work?

X would equal zero, as per the Cub's Power; because the Leaf Hyren's Power refers to X, that X will also be zero, and nothing can be gained.

In order to use Jagged Rocks, does there have to be a Kybar's Teeth creature and a non-Kybar's Teeth creature in play?

Only the individual effects with no creature to affect will fizzle; you can get the benefit of the Kybar's Teeth healing even without something non-Kybar's Teeth to discard from.

If there are fewer creatures in play than the number rolled for Ballistic Baldar's effect, what happens?

With Ballistic Baldar, it is much different; unlike Jagged Rocks, which has two different actions as part of its effect, with the Baldar, you have one action that is repeated X times and must have X targets to even work. Rolled higher than the creatures in play? The effect fizzles with no effect. Rolled a four, but you have three creatures and the opponent has two? Then two of your creatures will suffer as well.

Can I use Climbing Staff to stop a Spirit Drain spell?

Yes, because Spirit Drain checks the number of cards in the opponent's hand but does not actually interact with it, so Climbing Staff can prevent it.

Can Climbing Staff stop a Dark Ayebaw's Implosion?

No, because the cards discarded when popping a Dark Ayebaw are part of the cost to play the power, and actions taken as costs are not considered effects that can be stopped by Climbing Staff.

Can your creatures attack another creature that you control?

No; whenever you make an attack, you must choose an opposing card that is eligible for the attack.

Based upon recent rulings, I am guessing that Climbing Staff cannot block Dark Ayebaw's Implode because it is affecting a creature in addition to my opponent's Magi. Am I correct?

See above.

Also, can Climbing Staff block Storm of Fishes? Or Riptide? Or any spell that affects both hands?

If the opponent has no cards in their hand, then they have no hand to affect, and therefore you can 'Staff' the Spell. If they have at least one card there, though, the Spell no longer affects only your hand, and can no longer be 'Staffed'.

In a situation where I have an Ithapter with Combustion and The Last Words in play, along with Jungle Stalkers or a Jungle Jile, does the Ithapter's Combustion increase the energy discarded by Stalk effects?

The energy discarded by stalking is part of the game rules, not part of a Spell, Power, Effect, etc. None of the mentioned effects will increase it.

If I use a Stalk spell instead of a Jungle Jile's Mass Stalk while having an Ithapter with Combustion and The Last Words in play, does the total energy discarded from the target creature become 4 (from Combustion), plus additional energy from the spell and The Last Words?

See previous ruling.

Can a Jungle Stalker or Stalk spell be combined with the Scroll of Fire to discard 2 energy before attacks, along with any Ithapter's Combustion effect that discards 1 energy per use before attack step, resulting in more than normal energy loss from stalking?

See previous two rulings; there is currently no means of increasing stalking energy loss.

If my weave creature (such as Pody) is attacked and moves an energy to a weave hyren, do all my weave creatures gain one energy?

Moving energy triggers both the discard and add effects, allowing Weave Hyren's Wild Growth to trigger when it receives energy through weaving.

Can I use Abraxin's Crown to change the victim of energy discard when stalking an opposing Magi, allowing me to benefit from Ithapter's Combustion or Scroll of Fire?

There is currently no way to make a Magi stalked, and Abraxin's Crown only lets you change the victim of energy discard when energy is discarded by a Spell or Power. Stalking is energy discard by a game mechanic, and cannot be Dreamburned.

When you attack a Weave creature, and the opposing Magi has a Gift of the Weave in play, will 'rearranging' the energy on their creatures trigger Effects on cards like Weave Hyren and Kesia?

The named Effects (Wild Growth) are triggered by energy addition; rearrange is not energy addition, even if it leaves a Creature with more energy than it had before the rearrange; nor is it energy discard if a Creature is left with less.

Can Phrup prevent Cataclysm from being played or not?

No, Cataclysm cannot be affected by an opposing Time Lapse, nor any other opposing "as" effects (like Overwrite).

How can non-Kybar's Teeth magi use the Higher Ground ability on Climbing Staff?

Treat the second effect on Climbing Staff as having this line at the end: "Your Magi may use this effect regardless of region."

Based on last week's ruling, counting the number of cards is not affecting a hand, but looking at the cards and doing nothing to them is? What exactly are all the things that count as "affecting a hand"? As I see it, right now in the game, I can: Count the cards in your hand, Look at the cards in your hand, Make you discard a card from your hand, Make you draw a card and put it in your hand. Which of these 4 things counts as "affecting"?

To expand on the previous definition of "affecting a hand" with an overall definition of affecting an out of play area (hand, deck, or discard pile), you only affect the area when you either A - gain previously unknown knowledge about it (revealing the hand or cards from the deck) or B - change the contents of the area (move cards from the discard pile, hand, or deck, to a new area, into or out of play). Basically put, counting the cards in hand does not affect it, because hand size is public knowledge; most people ask the opponent how many cards are in their hand, but, technically speaking, you could count it for yourself and then calculate the energy loss for a Spirit Drain, etc.

Should future cards separate 'cost' from 'effect' in power design, given that discarding a creature for Impact is not considered a cost while discarding for Implosion is?

With regards to cost...This is a templating issue we will address. However, the difference, for now, is generally apparent: when you have to lose something you own or control before you get an effect from the Power or Spell, it's a cost. This is why, whereas Implosion's card discard is a cost, Impact's Creature discard is not, because the discard happens after you've started carrying out other, potentially beneficial, effects of the Spell. Spells and Powers as a norm have their effects happen sequentially; when you have to lose something before the Spell or Power has an effect, it's a cost, if it happens afterwards, its part of the Spell effect (and some resistances may apply).

Explain in detail the design and issues with the card Climbing Staff.

Climbing Staff was never intended to be an unstoppable shield; it breaks the rhythm of the game in a poor direction to do so. One of the appealing factors has always been, once it's your turn, you know what can and cannot happen—the worst the opponent could do is use what Effects they have on their side of the table, but as long as you planned your attack accordingly, you could guarantee a fair level of success. Within that measure also ran the risk of having to play intelligently and not be committed in such a way so as to let the opponent have such a guaranteed chance. Some regions (namely Paradwyn) occasionally break this mold, but that is in the spirit of what they were intended to do. Climbing Staff, if unstoppable, has the potential to lower the playing quality of the competitive environment. With such effective countermeasures available, a player can commit themselves much more recklessly with a 'safety net' and not worry about the consequences. And as for the 'victim' of the Staff, it can be needlessly frustrating when it is the only factor stopping you from a precisely calculated win. While it is a factor that could be accounted for, if you know it's a possibility, there should still be a means of stopping it.

When using Maelstrom Flask to look at the top four cards of your deck and choose a spell to play at half cost, does the spell have to be playable by your Magi?

Yes, the spell must be playable by your Magi, so the Weave Magi could not play Entomb.

If I have no creatures in play and my opponent has Gratch and another Kybar Teeth creature, will the other Kybar Teeth creatures gain one energy at the beginning of my turn due to Gratch's Hunting Howl effect?

If there is no creature to make the comparison with, the effect fizzles and does nothing.

If I have more than one Chogus in play, will their effects activate simultaneously or do they overlap and cancel each other out?

Unless noted otherwise in the effect, all redundant effects will occur simultaneously when their conditions are met. They would effectively overlap since both do the exact same thing, and it's a static change, so you would essentially get no benefit from extra Choguses in play.

When a card is played that checks for other cards in play, does it also check itself if it meets the requirements to trigger its own power or effect?

It depends on how the effect is phrased; in Alpine Xamf's case, the effect must be active before it can occur, and since Xamf isn't in play yet, the effect isn't active. Other effects, like Flame Trulb, check once the creature has entered play and count itself. The wording determines whether self-reference occurs, so always examine the exact phrasing of the ability.

What happens if one of my invulnerable creatures, such as Ahkar, is burrowed and is attacked by a 5 energy creature?

Whenever you change the results of something by applying both a 'cap' to it (changing it to a specific number) and also altering the base amount (such as reducing energy loss), the reduction is applied before the cap. In the example given, the Ahkar will have the energy loss reduced by Invulnerability, then the remaining amount (if greater than two) capped at two by Burrow.

Since Climbing Staff is now considered 'played', can you use Deep Wellisk's Sunken Treasure effect to discard it when someone uses it from their hand?

Yes, but you will essentially end up wasting two energy, because the final destination of the Staff was going to be the discard pile anyway.

Can Bloom let a magi use powers on their relics if the spell discarded the relics, since Bloom does not specify "Before his or her relics are discarded"?

No, because by the time you can use Bloom, the Relic has already left play.

Am I correct in thinking that Maelstrom and Thunderquake cannot be targeted at magi or creatures with Abraxin's Crown?

If you only affect one Magi or Creature when you play the Spell, Dreamburn will allow the swap. If you are only going to Thunderquake one Creature and nothing else, then Dreamburn will allow that change; conversely, if there is only one opposing Magi in play, you can Dreamburn a Creature with Maelstrom.

If I have ongoing spell effects such as Will of Orothe, Tranquility, or Focus and my Magi is defeated before the spell's effect happens, what happens to the spell effect? Does it cease to exist like spells on table (like Dream Channel), or does it continue to operate similar to creature powers (like Tree Hinko's Invigorate power)?

Such ongoing Spell effects last until they have expired, either by doing what they are supposed to do (e.g., Deadfalling two Creatures) or their duration has expired (the end of the chosen player's next turn, as is Will of Orothe's case). Focus is a special case; while it will not increase the energize rate of your next Magi if the one that played it is defeated, your next Magi will still be unable to play cards until the end of your turn after Focus was played (the biggest risk of all with the Spell).

Why was Ullig MRP'd? I could only find one way she could be broken, and the new MRP makes her almost useless due to her low energize rate and very conditional power. The concern about an infinite energy loop with Kybar's Echo and a Quido Swarm (from Bograth/Paradwyn) seems unnecessary since Moss Quido is not Kybar's Teeth. The only way the loop could happen is if Kybar's Echo was quilled to read Bograth or Paradwyn, which is extremely rare. Unless Ullig is broken in another way—especially with the MRP on Kybar's Echo (which I support)—I ask that you please change her back.

Ullig is far from useless; the conditions of her Effect are still very easy to fulfill, because it is triggered any time an opposing card forces your final Creature to be discarded from play, either by directly discarding it, or reducing it to zero energy (in attacks, opposing Spells, etc).

Why hasn't Cataclysm been MRP'd to read "discards all creatures, spells, and relics in play" if its intent is that it directly targets everything it discards, allowing effects like No and Anti-Magic to trigger?

Such non-functional MRPs create unnecessary confusion; additionally, the phrase "if specific discarded" no longer exists, and all instances of it should be replaced with "if discarded while it has energy." While this issue will be handled when the card is reprinted, it's not needed now.

If I play Staff of Keepers and name Arderial, then later use M'Rika's Interchange ability to bring up Delia (a Keeper of Arderial), does Delia gain the effect of Staff of Keepers when playing Arderial cards?

Yes, Delia gains the effect of Staff of Keepers when playing Arderial cards. Staff of Keepers only requires that you not name the region of your Magi when it is first played; if you later Interchange to a Magi from the named region, you still receive the benefits. Interchanging your Magi does not require re-evaluating the legality of your Relics, as their conditions were satisfied at the time they were initially played.

Can one play Crushing Heat, blast glove it, then crown it to target a magi?

No; when you first play a Spell, you must make all choices for it, including what it will affect, meaning that it must initially be chosen to affect the Magi and, if so, would not be valid for Blast Gloves.

If a card A cannot be affected by card B, can card B even choose to target card A even though card A won't be affected? Ex. Lovian vs. Lava Flow, Lovian vs. Impact.

In the first example, Lava Flow CAN affect the Lovian, as far as discarding energy, so the Lovian may be chosen. In the second example, the Impact can do absolutely nothing to the Lovian, so the Lovian cannot be chosen. In summation, only if the Spell or Power can do absolutely nothing to the unaffected card, then it cannot be chosen.

If a card does not require the first part of the action to be done to perform the second part of the action, i.e. Tap Roots, do you process as many effects of the card as you can?

You may process any effects that are not dependent on other effects/requirements named on the card; in the Tap Roots example, neither action is dependent on the other (adding energy or discarding energy), but the requirement of choosing two different Creatures must be met.

If a creature must attack and I play Will of Orothe on that creature, can I choose for it not to attack?

If a creature must attack, then you must make it attack with Will of Orothe, though you make all attack decisions as normal.

If a Magi plays Will of Orothe or something that allows them to do something on their next turn and that Magi is defeated before their next turn, can they still carry out the effect of Will of Orothe?

Will of Orothe affects a player, then their creatures (so that if a player plays new creatures, they're still affected) until the end of its duration; if you defeat the Magi, then the new Magi will still suffer the effects.

If I play a creature (Greenstuff) and the Magi Ogar then which effect happens first—would Ogar get to roll or would I add one to Green Stuff? In essence, what is the order of effects triggered by one action? Do I get my effects first if there are more than one, or do we alternate starting with mine? And what happens if playing a creature triggers 2 effects for Player A (me), 1 for Player B (Wellisk), and 1 each for Player C (Ogar) and Player D (Wudge), with the normal turn order being ABCD? What would be the order of effects?

The active player gets to resolve all of their effects first, in the order they choose, then the next in player order gets to do the same, until all effects are resolved; because you played the Green Stuff, it would get its energy, then Ogar would get to use Feral Instinct. As for multiplayer, A would choose the order that all of your simultaneous effects resolve, resolve them, then so would B, C, then D. If it was B's turn, it would be B, C, D, then A, etc.

Can I play Tuk Berries (Weave) on a creature that can't attack, or must the creature be one that can attack before it can be targeted?

You may use Nourish on a creature that normally could not attack.

With Quido Swarm's effect, if I have 10 creatures when I play him and someone defeats all creatures but him, leaving him with 6 energy, then at the beginning of my turn does he reduce to 1 energy? To me it wouldn't make sense because his text says 'restore,' which doesn't mean go down—doesn't restore mean to go up?

The Quido Swarm will change its current energy back to its starting energy at the beginning of the turn, and if there are no other creatures in play, that will be zero; the creature is then defeated.

What if I play a Burrow spell on a creature that has the effect Invulnerability? Would it lose no energy in attacks, or would it only lose two still? If so, which effect comes first and how do you know which effects trigger first if they are supposed to trigger simultaneously?

Whenever you change the results of something by applying both a 'cap' to it (changing it to a specific number) and also altering the base amount (such as reducing energy loss), the reduction is applied before the cap. In the example given, the Ahkar will have the energy loss reduced by Invulnerability, then the remaining amount (if greater than two) capped at two by Burrow.

Can effects on creatures only be used once per turn or multiple times during one turn?

Unless the effect states otherwise, it may be used as many times as its conditions are met.

Can you use the Effect on Climbing Staff without playing the card?

Yes, anyone can use the unnamed Effect on Climbing Staff, and using that Effect is not considered playing the card. Therefore, no effects or other actions that trigger on Relics being played occur.

If Zajan goes first, does he energize at the end of the turn, draw two cards at the beginning, or both?

Regardless of when it happens during the first turn of the game, the first time that player's Magi should energize, they do not energize as normal. If the energize is somehow shifted to somewhere aside from the Energize step and another energize effect happens (such as Flood of Energy), then that energize effect for that Magi will be cancelled by the rule, but the energize would happen normally later that turn. Zajan still has his energize step, so he would draw two cards, but by the rules, he would not normally energize during the Draw step if he went first on the very first turn of the game. However, if he played Flood of Energy during his turn, though he'd gain no energy then, he would gain energy during the Draw step.

If a Magi is defeated while he has illusionary Creatures out, are the Creatures discarded or do they become orphaned?

Whenever a Magi is defeated, all non-Magi cards that Magi controls (under normal circumstances) are discarded as well; this holds true with Illusions, and they will be discarded by Magi defeat.

Can All-High King Korg use the effect on Climbing Staff?

Under the current ruling, Yes, All-High King Korg can use the effect on Climbing Staff. The previous restriction that using the effect counted as "playing" the relic no longer applies.

Can you use a Climbing Staff in response to Emaal's Effect?

No, you cannot use a Climbing Staff in response to Emaal's Effect. Emaal's Effect affects both her player's hand and the opposing Magi, and the Climbing Staff cannot stop it.

Can a spell like Fireball target the Lovian if it discards energy?

No, it cannot target the Lovian unless the spell would discard energy, such as when Rayje's Sword is in play. Lava Flow is an exception because it has Piercing (Rayje's Sword Effect) built in.

If a 4-energy Furok attacks a 20-energy creature, how many energy can be retrieved?

The Furok would retrieve two energy, which is half of what it discarded, rounded down.

Can you play Empress Gia in a deck with 'regular' Gia?

Yes, you can play Empress Gia in a deck with regular Gia because Empress Gia is an Alternate Gia, as Gia exists as a Magi. The naming convention for Magi only considers shared proper names (as single words) when determining alternates; 'of the Sky' or 'Sky' are not proper names since no Magi named Sky exists. Therefore, Lady of the Sky and Defender of the Sky can be played together, and similarly, Empress Gia and regular Gia can coexist in a deck.

Can I use Auraflection to copy Restrain if I'm restricted from using Restrain on my next turn?

Whenever you are not allowed to use a Power, this applies to copies of that Power as well. You may not use Auraflection to copy a restricted Power (just as you cannot Sorreah's Dream a Shadow Cloak two turns in a row).

If Corrupt is played and attached to the Dark Twins, can I still play Lovian, and will it be affected by Corrupt?

The Lovian will Resist the Corrupt just as well as any Core-Resistant Creature, and it will be discarded with no effect.

Does Lava Flow go through Burrow, and can its energy discard amount be altered if opposing cards cannot stop it?

Lava Flow is literally unstoppable energy discard, just like any discard with Piercing in Effect. Also, just like Piercing stopping Burrow from reducing energy loss, Lava Flow discards energy from opposing Burrowed Creatures, ignoring Burrow, unless you happened to be the one that Burrowed the opposing Creature.

Does Big Chill's effect mean that creatures in play with more energy than their starting energy must lose all excess energy?

When Big Chill goes into effect, any creatures with more energy than their starting energy remain at that amount. Big Chill only prevents adding energy beyond a creature's starting energy; it does not reduce existing energy. If an effect would add energy and cause a creature to exceed its starting energy, no additional energy is added once the creature reaches its starting energy. If a creature already has equal or more energy than its starting amount, that energy addition simply does nothing.

If Giant Chogus hits the table and the other player has a new Pyder on the board, does the magi donate its energy to Pyder (as usual) and then Giant Chogus forces that energy to be discarded, or does the donation never take place?

The first half of the Move effect will occur (discard all but one energy from your Magi) when the Magi energizes, but the second half (add that much energy) will be restricted by Big Chill, so that if the energy add would raise the energy on Pyder above its starting, then no energy above its starting will be added (essentially making the energy lost).

Can the Korremar + Gia Pet card combo lock down your opponent's drawing capabilities completely?

If the opponent had not drawn any cards outside of their Draw step, then they would still get to draw one card. Effectively, under normal circumstances of drawing two cards per turn, Gia Pet and Korremar do the same thing but through different mechanics. Korremar states 'Once you've drawn a card, you can draw no more this turn,' which triggers after a card is successfully drawn. Gia Pet reduces the number of cards drawn by one, meaning the player draws X-1 cards where X is the normal amount. Since reductions are applied before caps, even when both effects are active, the opponent still gets to draw at least one card during their Draw step. This also applies to League Elder: while he ignores Gia Pet's restriction because he draws until his hand has five cards, Korremar will cap him at one card draw per turn, preventing any additional draws such as those from Warrada's Ring.

If I use Vulbor to force my opponent to discard two cards and they respond with Abraxin's Crown, can I use Tomorrow's Jewel's power to stop the effect?

No; the text of Abraxin's Crown that takes effect when it's discarded is not an Effect but rules text, and Tomorrow's Jewel cannot stop it.

If I am Vulbor'd, can I play Tomorrow's Jewel from my hand and use its power immediately?

No; you could choose the Jewel and an additional card from your hand to discard, but the Jewel is not played until it is actually discarded from your hand, which would be too late for you to use the Jewel's anti-discard ability.

When did the weekly Rules Digest schedule change from Friday to Monday?

The weekly Rules Digest schedule changed to Monday beginning with the digest for the weekend of October 4th, 2002.

Do I need an active Magi to play Climbing Staff from my hand and use its effect?

Yes; you must have an active Magi in order to use the effect on Climbing Staff, meaning that Crushing Heat can still stop you from using the effect to protect yourself.

If a Vulbor Discards 2 cards from a hand, and Abraxin's Crown and Gilded Cage are the only cards in your hand, which card activates first?

You may choose the order in which you activate them, most likely the Gilded Cage followed by Abraxin's Crown so that you can draw cards.

Does Sneak Attack prevent spells, powers, or effects from working, such as Burrow?

Spells, Powers, and Effects will still work normally, as long as they do not reduce the amount of energy discarded. Burrow, since it is always granted by a Spell, Power, or Effect, will not reduce the energy loss.

When Phlouk has less energy than the starting energy of a Ring Tested creature at the end of the turn, what happens? Specifically, if Phlouk has three energy but the creature requires four, does the creature get discarded without removing all available energy from Phlouk?

The events of Ring Testing occur sequentially: first, discard energy from Phlouk equal to the starting energy of the Ring Tested Creature; if there is not enough energy on Phlouk to do so, then the Creature is discarded. If no Ring Tested Creature remains in play, no further action is required.

If I play Rajye's Boots, which prevents other players from playing creatures outside their own region, can my opponent still play Bograth and Core Magi cards if they play a Gwaeg?

Yes; due to rules regarding specificity vs. generality, just as Hrada's Tainted Victims could still play cards of their region, Bograth and Core Magi could still play Bograth and Core cards.

Can I use Dreamburn to hit a Magi with spells like Ambush, Storm Cloud, Syphon Vortex, Brushfire, and Thunderquake when no creatures are in play?

Yes, Dreamburn can be used to target a Magi with those spells when no creatures are in play, as long as the spell or power only discards energy from one creature or magi. The key requirement for Dreamburn is that energy must be discarded from only one creature by a spell; since the move mechanic involves discarding energy, you can legally use Dreamburn to apply Syphon Vortex to an opposing Magi and move X energy (or all they have, whichever is less) to your magi. Similarly: Ambush is legal and discards energy equal to the Magi's starting energy; Storm Cloud is legal and reduces the opposing Magi to one energy; Brushfire is legal and discards two energy from the Magi; Thunderquake is legal as long as you do not attempt to split its effect among multiple magi. Dreamburn works with any spell or power that discards energy from only one creature or magi, provided there is only one target affected. For example, if only one opposing creature is in play, you can Dreamburn a Fire Chogo's Power and discard energy from the opposing Magi. However, in a multiplayer game, you cannot Dreamburn Maelstrom even if an opponent has only one creature, because it would affect multiple magi—Dreamburn cannot be used when there are multiple potential targets.

Usagi asks about Flame Trulb's ability: "Add one energy to FT for every C or BR creature in play, which ever is less." If there are no BR creatures and 3 C creatures, does it get +2E or +5E?

The effect triggers only after the Trulb is in play, so it counts itself. It adds energy equal to the lesser number of Creature types in play—so if there are only Cald (C) creatures, including the Trulb, it would add +1E because there is one Bograth (BR) creature (the Trulb itself), and thus the minimum is 1. If all creatures in play were Cald, the Trulb would still get +1E since there's only one Bograth creature (itself). It will only gain more than one energy if multiple Flame Trulbs are already in play.

When Liriel's Cape is discarded for its Mass Heal effect, do creatures with Dreamwarp gain an additional eight energy due to both Radiant Spring and Liriel's Cape effects?

No, the creatures would gain no energy above their starting energy. First, since Liriel's Cape is discarded from play before the energy is added, it is not in play to grant the +3 bonus to starting energy. Second, Radiant Spring only applies to Dreamwarping creatures when they are played; it does not increase the starting energy of creatures with Dreamwarp by five unless they were actually played that turn and warped up by five.

After an opposing creature uses a power, can T'kanzam use an 'Exact Copy' of that power, paying all costs, including copying a self-referential card like Giant Parathin which discards itself?

Whenever a card copies a Power or Effect, all self-references in the Power or Effect change to the name of the card copying it; this means that T'kanzam's Interchange would read 'discard T'Kanzam from play', etc.

If I have Emboar and no creatures in play, can I play Darkness and discard three other creatures in play from Emboar's text?

No; Imaginary Friends does not create Imaginary Creatures, it simply adds +3 to the total of Creatures or Bograth Creatures you have in play whenever one of your cards checks for the total.

Can Player A use Um...No! to protect Orpus and also use Orpus to save Motash's Staff when Cataclysm is played?

Yes, Player A can use Um...No! to protect Orpus and still use Orpus to save Motash's Staff. Even if Um...No! is not used, the energy from Orpus can be discarded to save the Staff from Cataclysm because a Creature does not lose its energy total until it actually enters an out of play area. The key timing is that when D'Jarvish's burrowed or illusionary Creatures are returned to hand (after being discarded by Cataclysm), Motash's Staff's effect triggers as they begin their return, adding their energy totals to D'Jarvish at that moment—before they forget their energy. This occurs before the cards fully leave play, so the energy is still valid.

Does Furok Guardian's Terra Rebirth save another creature if Cataclysm is played? Would Fird Stone work? Could 3 Furok Guardians save each other in the event of Cataclysm?

Fird Favor triggers when Furoks are scheduled to be affected, but before they actually are; it could intercede and protect your Furoks from Cataclysm, though it would be swept away. Multiple Furok Guardians could save each other from a Cataclysm; they would be Reborn at the end of the turn at full energy once again.

Is Gremble's Power a cost?

The previous ruling on the hand discard of Gremble's Power being a cost is reversed, because it was accidentally mistemplated to not be stated clearly as a cost, and so you may use it with an empty hand. However, we will almost assuredly repair the problem if Gremble is reprinted.

Can you affect an out of play area?

Whether or not the out of play area exists is irrelevant, whenever a card refers to affecting the 'hand, deck, or discard pile', it refers to them as if they have cards there. If they don't, the card cannot affect it, if it were trying to actively do so (but it can still check an empty area to see if something is or is not there), because it's not trying to affect the 'zone', but the cards stored in that 'zone'.

How does Amulet of Ombor work?

Any time that you may play a Relic, as long as Amulet of Ombor is in play, you may search your hand or deck for a Gate to Ombor and play it, ignoring all costs. If you search your deck, shuffle it afterwards. You cannot use this ability if you do not have a Gate to Ombor in your hand or deck or if you cannot use Effects named Talisman.

How does Rayje's Belt work?

Treat Rayje's Belt as if it had the following: Power - Lockdown: Name any one Power or Effect on a card in play. Until the end of your next turn, no player may use the named Power or Effect while Rayje's Belt is in play.

How does the new effect of Twee change the original Regrow ability?

The new effect of Twee changes the original Regrow ability so that if Twee is discarded from play, it retrieves the first non-Twee Creature card under Twee from your discard pile and places it in your hand, rather than moving any card under Twee to your hand.

Does Rayje's Sword allow you to get around Creatures that say: "Core spells and powers do not affect......"? I would like to know about this regarding energy removal and other effects.

No. By the rules and text, there are two types of resistance, and so the following occurs: Piercing vs "The Spell, Power, or Effect does nothing." - The effects of the Spell, Power, or Effect basically never happen; there is no energy loss to reduce, because the Spell, Power, or Effect did not even attempt to discard energy to begin with. Piercing will not allow energy discard to happen. Piercing vs "This Creature is not affected by Spells, Powers, or Effects of the specified region/etc." - In this case, the Spell, Power, or Effect does nothing to the Resistant card, but still has its effects on everything else in play. Since the Spell/Power/Effect never attempts to discard energy from the Creature, energy loss cannot be reduced, and Piercing cannot take effect. On an additional note, it has previously been ruled that you cannot play a Spell or use a Power if you can't select a Creature in play to be affected by it because of Resistance (or similar Effects); this is both a violation of the spirit and the mechanics of the rules, and is hereby reversed. So you may now Shockwave opposing Colossuses to your heart's content, it will just do nothing to them if they have their Anti-Magic. Any new questions to arise from this ruling should be directed to the listserv.

Can Climbing Staff block Impact?

No; Impact affects both the chosen Magi and the Creature to be discarded for the Impact energy removal.

Can Climbing Staff block Dark Ayebaw?

Yes; the cards discarded for Implode are a cost, as well as with the Spell Implosion, and so the user's hand is not affected by Implode or Implosion.

Can Climbing Staff block Spirit Drain?

Yes; the number of cards in the opposing hand is public knowledge at all times, so Spell Drain does not specifically affect it.

Can you play Climbing Staff from your hand with no active Magi?

Yes, but only in specific situations; if an opposing card is affecting only your hand, as the hand is the player's domain, then the player may use the Effect to protect it, and negate the Spell/Power/Effect. If the Staff will be affecting only the Magi (basically an impossibility with no Magi in play), then the Magi must be able to use Effects on Relics in order to discard it for its Spell/Power/Effect negation. So even if you are under the effects of Crushing Heat, you may still protect your hand, but your Magi can still not protect themselves. This ruling applies specifically to Climbing Staff currently because it is the only Effect that can be used without being in play. The card will be changed to eliminate such an exemption if reprinted.

Can Phrup block Climbing Staff when it is being played?

When it is being played, yes; when it is being discarded from your hand for the purposes of its negation ability, however, it is never put into play, but simply revealed and then moved from the hand to the discard pile, so Time Lapse cannot interact with it.

Can I use Treepsh's Watchful ability to counter a Flame Geyser that discards energy from creatures, magi, and other players' creatures and magi?

Yes. Treepsh does not specify that the Spell, Power or Effect must 'only' discard energy from Creatures, so even in the Flame Geyser's case, Watchful can negate it, preventing the Geyser from not only discarding energy from your Creatures but also from opposing Creatures and all Magi.

What happens if I use Tony as my first Magi with his Caffeine! power?

All of your Magi will permanently gain Sleep Dep when you use Caffeine!; this will only matter if your Magi Interchanges to a new one (such as with Giant Parathin), this is to guarantee that you cannot have an Interchange deck and set up a cycle of infinite turns, or possibly create a multi-turn cycle with Tony that ends with a Magi with a defeat Effect (like Wessig).

What happens if I use Tony as my last Magi and use Caffeine! on both turns?

You will lose the game at the end of that second turn, because Sleep Dep will defeat Tony.

Why are other Magi affected by Sleep Dep even though they don't take two turns in a row?

They can if you Interchange.

If I have been tainted by Hrada, can I use a spell from another region to prevent my Magi from being discarded when Orwin, Strag, or Barak trigger?

If you have Spells not of the Purity region in your discard pile, then the rest of Purity will not trigger, and your Magi will not be defeated. And while the subject is open, the rules team previously misinterpreted the wording of Purity; it asks the question of whether all of the Spells in your discard pile are of the region of choice. If there are no Spells in your discard pile, this statement generates a false response every time. To summarize, you may NOT use Purity if you have no Spells in your discard pile. Any new questions to arise from this ruling should be directed to the listserv.

If a player is forced to discard cards from their hand and only Abraxin's Crown and Gilded Cage are in their hand, which card's ability activates first?

The player may choose the order in which the effects resolve. However, only one of the two anti-discard effects can be triggered because Abraxin's Crown has the word "instead" and negates the entire discard event when used. If the Crown is discarded instead of other cards, the discard event is prevented, so the Gilded Cage cannot trigger. Conversely, if the Gilded Cage is discarded (allowing it to trigger), then the Crown’s effect cannot activate because no discard event occurs. Therefore, only one effect can resolve—either the Crown's prevention or the Cage's ability—but not both.

If my opponent's Magi has more energy than their listed Starting Energy (for example: Gar's Starting Energy is 14), and I play Abraxin's Crown, then cast an Intensify, followed by a 'Dreamburned' Equilibrate targeting their Magi, does the Magi first remove all excess energy above starting energy, and then additionally lose energy equal to what the Intensify caused the Equilibrate to remove?

If the Equilibrate can legally affect the Magi, it will reduce the Magi's energy to its Starting Energy and then discard an additional amount equal to what was removed due to the Intensify. So if a Magi has 19 energy with a Starting Energy of 15, it will lose 8 energy total.

Does the rule that updraft effects only count 'printed starting energy' apply to abilities like those from Bagala Fangs and Dream Balming, which also reference 'starting energy'? And if so, does this mean that temporary changes to starting energy via Dreamwarp are not used for updraft effects, even though they modify the number in the corner?

The rule specifying that updraft effects use only 'printed starting energy' applies consistently across all such effects, including those from Bagala Fangs and Dream Balming. While Dreamwarp changes the number displayed in the corner of the card and creates a temporary starting energy value for most purposes, this temporary value is not used by updraft effects. The printed starting energy remains the sole reference for these specific mechanics. Statements about Dreamwarp adjusting based on the number in the corner were made to reduce confusion but do not imply that the change affects updraft calculations; only the original printed value matters for those effects.

Has Morag's energise been reduced to 6? I was looking over the official errata pdf files today and found that the errata for Morag has an energise of 6. I checked the most recent printing file I have (22nd August) and that has 7 for Morag's energise. So, which is it, officially, 6 or 7?

Officially, it is a 7; the image was mistakenly created with a 6.

Is the League Elder promo card tournament legal?

No. League Elder will not be legal until October 31st. Starting next week, RT will begin including a list of currently illegal promos in each digest, along with their expected 'legal' date.

If an opponent plays a Corrupt and I play an Athik, what happens?

The Athik remains underneath and the Corrupt goes away. The Corrupt cannot affect the Athik because of its Resistance. The Corrupt will be discarded and attempt to take control of the Athik, but Resistance allows the Athik to ignore the effects of the Corrupt, so the attempt fails.

Is the Amanax + Abraxin's Crown + Syphon Vortex combo a legal combo to use against an opposing Magi?

No. Amanax's Effect Pyromaniac can only be triggered when energy is discarded from Creatures, even with Abraxin's Crown in play. Dreamburn does not allow changes to conditional triggers of Effects, only alter the targeting abilities of Powers and Spells.

Can Amanax use Syphon Vortex on a Magi without Abraxin's Crown?

No.

Does Amulet of Ombor allow a player to search through their deck for Gate to Ombor, or does it only allow playing it without paying costs if another card enables it?

As long as Amulet of Ombor is in play, you may search your hand or deck for a Gate to Ombor and play it, ignoring all costs, whenever you could play a Relic. If you search your deck, shuffle it afterwards. You cannot use this ability if you do not have a Gate to Ombor in your hand or deck, or if you cannot use Effects named Talisman. If a player attempts to search their deck without having a Gate to Ombor present, the situation should be treated as if they had searched their deck for no reason, since they should be aware of their deck's contents.

Does Rayje's Belt's Lockdown ability affect any Power or Effect, even if it is not named, according to the promotional version?

Treat Rayje's Belt as if it still has its previous errata: Lockdown: Name any one Power or Effect on a card in play. Until the end of your next turn, no player may use the named Power or Effect while Rayje's Belt is in play.

Can you climbing staff Sorreah's Suppress? And how long does it last?

Yes, but only in a single-player game or if yours is the only active Magi aside from Sorreah in multiplayer, because he has to be affecting only your Magi before Suppress can be "Staffed". The effect will last on that copy of Sorreah until Sorreah leaves play; this includes Interchanging or defeat.

Can Harror, Nightstalker's named effect be climbing staffed, and does that effect prevent Sorreah from playing ANY Arderial spells or Tony Jones from playing ANY creature?

We would prefer not to make rulings on cards until they are printed; they may change from finalization to printing, and so some if not all rulings could be invalidated.

Can the Dark Twins retrieve starting cards for the unnamed magi, and can you play with the unnamed magi as your third magi in a deck?

No, the Dark Twins are not an alternate Warrada, but you can still play with her as your third magi. The Dark Twins may only retrieve their printed starting cards, which include what is actually printed on the card and anything with "STARTING: Hrada", which there currently is none.

Can I include both Harror Nightstalker and an alternate version of Harror in the same deck, since Harror Nightstalker doesn't say 'Alternate Harror'?

No. A Magi must only contain the proper name of a Magi in its name to be considered an Alternate. Wence the Wanderer and similar VotS cards will also lack such reminder text.

When it comes to Karse's Fury effect, does it count the cards that have printed costs of seven energy or more, or does it include stuff that costs six normally but with the regional penalty would cost seven (e.g., Hyren's Call)?

See question 1B. We will not be answering rules questions on VotS cards until such cards are printed.

If I cast Sandswirl for two turns (spending 2e) on Elios, do I have to discard cards out of my hand until I have five?

No. If Elios is defeated while under the effects of Sandswirl, even his nameless Effect cannot trigger, and so you will lose nothing from your hand.

What is the difference between being played, playing a creature, and as a creature is being played?

Played: When a card is successfully moved from an out of play area and placed on the table in play. As a Creature is being played: After the Creature card has been revealed and all costs have been paid, but before the Creature has been put on the table. Playing a Creature: Revealing a Creature card from an out of play area (hand, deck, or discard pile) with the intent of putting it into play, then paying any applicable costs.

Why do some decks without Kybar's Teeth Magi include a Climbing Staff if Cald Magi cannot use other region's relics unless stated?

A Cald Magi may not bring into play a non-Universal non-Cald Relic unless the Relic specifically allows it or the Magi states they can. However, Climbing Staff's unnamed effect does not require it to be brought into play to be used, and so any Magi can use the card for Magi/Hand protection by discarding it.

Can I Spirit Drain a Creature with Dreamburn?

No. Spirit Drain does not choose to discard energy from a Magi; instead, it chooses a player, making the energy discard incidental. Since Dreamburn only allows Spells and Powers that can specifically choose to discard energy from a single Magi or a single Creature to be changed to also allow the other type, Spirit Drain cannot be affected by Dreamburn because its choice is not about discarding energy but selecting a player.

If I have a Korrit and a Striped Korrit (with Burrow) down and my opponent attacks the Korrit with a Goggled Pylofuf, and I use Pack Defense, does the Pylo lose energy from the Striped Korrit (because it is an effect) or does it just lose its two energy?

It loses only the two energy. Pack Defense does not discard energy; it only allows the Striped Korrit to make itself an additional defender in the attack. In this case, unless the Korrit only had one energy, then having Striped Korrit Pack Defense benefits you none.

What is a cost?

A cost is when a Spell, Power, or Effect causes you to choose something of yours that you will lose as part of the Spell, Power, or Effect, regardless of which point in the resolution that loss occurs. While there's no absolute rule, a good guideline is whether you lose something before gaining a generally beneficial effect; however, this addendum clarifies that any such choice constitutes a cost. Common sense typically determines what counts as a cost, and while most cards are played as intended, exceptions may arise where strict interpretation is preferred—players should ask if uncertain.

How does the effect Imaginary Friends on the Magi Emlob work?

Effect - Imaginary Friends: Whenever one of your Spells, Powers, or Effects counts the number of Creatures or Bograth Creatures you have in play, increase the total by three.

Are terms like 'Jungle Stalker' on creature cards considered creature types, and can they be targeted by effects that reference creature types such as Scyalla's ability or Sarazen Outcast's extra fighting energy?

No; Jungle Stalker is not a Creature type. When a card references a Creature type, it can only choose cards with whole words in the Name of a Creature on the card, ignoring plurality. The term 'Jungle Stalker' is part of the card's title, which is unrelated to Creature type; the only exception is when the title lists 'Alternate XXXX,' then the creature in question also counts as a Creature of that type in addition to what's listed. Jungle Stalkers are a sub-group of Creatures with related abilities, and the design team wants cards to be able to key off of that group without also having to lump those creatures together with the same Creature type. This will not be the first group to make such a distinction, as you will see more in VotS.

Does Orwin's Ring discard Evil Evu? Personal opinion on this is that Magi are never technically in play.

Yes; Evil Evu is a non-Naroom card. The only time a Magi isn't in play is when he is either defeated, or still face down in the Magi pile.

Does the effect on the Ergar stack? Even though the effect gives the power, recent rulings with other effects state they don't stack (ie. the Hurricane Orish).

Yes; Spark does not say that you may not have multiple copies of it on a single Cald Creature, therefore each Cald Creature gains a new instance of Spark. Also note that Hurricane Orish wasn't a ruling, it was an errata to the card.

If I play Crushing Surf to gain control of an opposing relic yet the only relic available is one I already have in play, what happens?

You play Crushing Surf to discard four energy from a Creature, then the secondary effect of Crushing Surf is unable to resolve as it does not have a valid target. You cannot have two copies of the same Relic in play so you will receive nothing.

Korok (KT Magi) says all the powers on my KT cards cost one less to use. Does that affect the cost of using Sorreah's Dream on that power?

Yes, but only if it is a Power copied from a Kybar's Teeth card; Sorreah's Dream states that all cards that affect that Power also affect Sorreah's Dream.

Bloom now states you can use a power on a card in play. Would Ninx still be able to Staredown off a Bloom?

Yes. Though Ninx is Weave, she fits the qualification of having a Paradwyn Power because she is also a Paradwyn Magi.

Errata on Eye of the Storm has made the card near worthless. However, it does not state you cannot use Loaded Dice or Fate's Whimsy on it. Would those still be included in altering the die roll?

No card may alter the result of your die roll for Storm Seeker. Changing the number of dice you roll would be considered altering the die roll, therefore you cannot use Loaded Dice or Fate's Whimsy when rolling for Storm Seeker.

Does Gia Pet's ability stack with any other card drawing or limits? (ie. Korremar, a Magi who draws three cards, or Warrada's Ring, etc.)

Caps are always applied after reductions. Gia Pet will try and make you draw one less than two, which is a reduction to one and then Korremar only lets you draw one card as the cap so you'll still get the one card. In the case of Evu or a Magi who would be drawing more than two, where you would normally draw three or more, the Impede reduces that total by one and then Mind Shock caps the draw at one. Also note the clarification that multiple Gia Pets cannot have their effects stack.

Universal Magi must pay a regional penalty to play all cards. Why would they be subject to this when no one else has to pay penalties to play theirs? (Just kinda wanted an explanation on this one really.)

Universal Magi are from their own region, which is a jack-of-all-trades and yet a master of none. They must pay a regional penalty for all non-Universal cards while non-Universal Magi continue to have no penalty for Universal cards. The Universal 'region' is what the Eliwan wielded initially from the time they started using the magic of the Moonlands. It is the basis for which all magic of the Moonlands is founded; later on, different regional founders and elders tempered the practices and learnings of the Eliwan to tailor their own distinct styles of magic, encompassing the summoning of non-Universal Dream Creatures as well. While regional Magi had to learn the Eliwan teachings as a foundation for their more specialized, regional-specific forms of magic, Universal Magi never fully graduated beyond the initial Eliwan teachings, either by choice (Rayje), lack of access (Tuku), or lack of practice (Tony Jones).

Can I use the Climbing Staff to counter Suppress if it only affects one Magi, but not Lockdown which affects all Powers and/or Effects of a named card, even if those powers are only on my own Magi?

You may use the Climbing Staff to stop Suppress if it only affects one Magi. You may not use the Climbing Staff to stop Lockdown because Lockdown affects all Powers and/or Effects of the named card, regardless of which creature they are printed on.

If I go first with a Gia Pet in play, does my opponent only get four cards? (Vortex of Knowledge affects initial card drawing)

No; there is a specific process in determining your starting hand. First, you retrieve all of your starting cards, to a maximum of five. Then if you have less than five cards, draw until you have five. The only card printed so far that directly affects the Starting Hand mechanic is Dark Twins because they say you are allowed to draw up to seven instead of the regular five. As for the Vortex of Knowledge and any other cards that would cause you to draw cards before you have gotten your starting hand, they work as such: Vortex causes you to draw two cards, then you get your starting cards, to a maximum of five. After getting your starting cards, if you still have less than five cards, draw until you have five. If you use Vortex of Knowledge on Good Ol' Ashgar, he draws two and then gets to go look for and retrieve an Arbolit, Quor, Flame Geyser, Boomstick, and Krawg if he has them in his deck, but Strag would still have to give up one of his starting cards, the Gum Gum, Parmalag, Bottomless Pit, Urhail, Strag's Claws, or Strag's Ring.

Can you discard Climbing Staff from your hand to stop damage from any source to your Magi while a Rayje's Sword is in play?

Yes; Climbing Staff stops the Spell, Power, or Effect if only your Magi is being affected. Because the Climbing Staff stops the Spell, Power, or Effect from even attempting to discard energy, then there is no energy loss to reduce.

With a Nalo using Tsunami, can any opposing cards stop it?

Generally, no; Tsunami states that opposing cards "may not alter" the amount of energy removed, so it may not be reduced or increased by opposing cards, though it can still be stopped by cards that make the Power "do nothing".

How does Tsunami work with The Last Words?

Pyromancy does not remove energy from a Creature, it only allows the Power to remove more energy. All Creatures in play would lose four energy. Pyromancy also sets up a Global Restriction on the rest of your cards however, so Tsunami along with the rest of your Spells, Powers, and Effects may never even attempt to discard energy from an opposing Magi.

Finally, if a Burrowed creature has already taken two damage from one source in a turn, couldn't the Nalo deal another two damage via its Power since it seems to have a built in "Piercing"?

By established precedence, if the Burrow status is granted by an opposing card, the Tsunami will discard two additional energy (total of four), since opposing cards cannot alter the amount discarded by it. If the Burrow status is granted by one of your cards for some reason, however, the energy loss will be reduced.

Can you use Climbing Staff to counter Trug's Cataclysm?

No; Trug's Cataclysm affects both your Magi and Trug. Climbing Staff may only be used if your Magi is the only card affected.

Could you use Climbing Staff on any other effect that targets a Magi, such as Kazm's Hunter effect?

You can only use the Climbing Staff to stop Powers, Spells, and Effects that are only affecting your Magi or Hand. Kazm's Hunter does not affect opposing Magi. When a card chooses your Magi for its ability to affect that Magi's cards, if the Magi is not affected it does not matter to the Climbing Staff that he or she was chosen.

If Trug uses Cataclysm, which discards all cards from play including the Magi, could you burn through your deck and draw up your discarded Magi to play again?

No; Magi are kept in a separate deck known as the Magi Stack and are never put into your Draw Deck. If your Magi is discarded from play it is considered defeated and you should place it on the bottom of your Magi pile face up.

If I have two Darkbreed minions in play, do they affect each other or do they lose nothing from the effect Smolder?

Whenever a card refers to itself by name in its text, it refers to that lone copy of the card; the other copies of the card in play still suffer when applicable, and each of your Darkbreeds will Smolder the others in play.

Is giving a player a choice to discard cards considered forcing them to discard? For example, Gloom says you may discard a card or one energy to save each of your creatures.

If you are discarding cards because of an opposing Spell, that Spell is forcing you to discard those cards even if you were able to choose whether or not you had to discard them. If the Spell or Power wasn't used, then you would not have had to discard any cards.

If Adis is your Magi, could you use Climbing Staff on her effect upon defeat? The effect affects your hand, but it technically activates because she was defeated, not because you wanted to use it.

Yes; when Adis is defeated, the Effect Haunt is activated. As long as there is only one opposing player, that player may discard the Climbing Staff from hand to negate Haunt.

If I play Fog Bank, does that mean my Magi may be attacked if that is my only creature in play?

No; if there is a Creature in play you may not normally attack a Magi directly. If the Creature may not be attacked either, then no attack at all may be made even if you have to attack.

Can Emaal's effect be countered with Climbing Staff? (Reason: the cost on the card is the defeat of my Magi)

No; Sabotage is affecting your Magi, your deck (drawing cards affects both), and your opponent's hand.

Should the Climbing Staff vs. Sorreah ruling be reviewed in light of the Dreamburn rule-reversal?

No; there are two entirely different situations being compared. Climbing Staff can be played as a reaction to something that's final result is affecting only your Magi or hand, so the check is made at that time. With Abraxin's Crown, Dreamburn checks to see if the Spell is appropriate before it is cast. Dreamburn states that if a Spell says it discards energy from a single Creature or Magi, the discard can be instead changed to the other Type. In its simplest form, before the Spell or Power is used, read the text with the Type switched. In the case of Spirit Drain, it would read: "Choose any one player. Discard energy from the chosen player's Creature equal to the number of cards in that player's hand." As you mentioned, this would only theoretically work if you had exactly one creature in play. Since there is no choice made and it is possible for the Spell to result in an illegal case, it cannot be Dreamburned. Dreamburn can only be used with Spells and Powers that can choose to affect only one target.

Would Climbing Staff work against Hradda too, since his ability says 'choose a magi'?

Choosing a Magi is not a qualification for being able to discard the Climbing Staff to protect your Magi. Affecting a single Magi is the qualification. Tainted Touch only affects your Magi, so you can discard a Climbing Staff from your hand to stop one instance of Hradda using it.

Can Chogu's effect allow me to use Karkik's Firestorm power to discard the largest opposing creature if I only have one opponent?

No; Exuberence refers to cards that check for the smallest or largest opposing creature. Flameburst does not look at all opposing creatures. It only looks at a specific set of them, the limited group controlled by one Magi, so it cannot be affected by Exuberence; even if the smallest Creature in play happens to belong to that Magi. It's similar to the Dreamburn ruling. Exuberence isn't looking for net effect, it's looking for a particular card mechanic.

Can Ashgar cast Brushfire for 0 energy from discard using Combat Reflexes?

Yes; Combat Reflexes allows you to play a spell from your hand at a cost reduction of two and Brushfire says it may be played as if it were in your hand.

When a Korrit or Giant Korrit uses Pack Hunt, does it trigger Offense on Strag's Claws?

Each time a Creature attacks, Offense will add energy to that Creature. In the case of Pack Hunt, when that Creature attacks with another Creature, it is attacking and does get the energy bonus too.

Can I use both powers of a card in a single turn if one power decreases starting energy and the other increases it by up to ten?

Yes; you may even choose to use them on the same creature, though the last one used will take precedence when checking starting energy. Also note that while the starting energy change is made, it does not change the printed value...The change applies almost exclusively to cards that have restore effects (such as Weebo's Vitalize) or discard energy based off of starting energy (Ambush, Regal Presence).

If someone uses Impact on a Lovian, can I then use Climbing Staff on the Impact since it did not affect the Lovian?

Yes; the Lovian is discarded as part of the cost of the Impact.

If I played an Intensify and then played an Impact, discarding a creature with 10e, would it do 40e points of damage?

Yes; Impact discards X energy, where X is equal to double the current energy total. Intensify will double the amount discarded by Impact, as it doubles the energy loss to a Magi.

If Player 1 casts Nightmare's Dawn, does Player 2 get the extra five energy on their Magi?

No; Nightmare's Dawn was created and phrased to reward those players that maintained regional purity, even with the new options presented by dual-region cards. The second player's Magi is only Weave, and the Baby Furok is not only Weave, so the Magi does not receive the energy. For the Magi to receive energy, not only would all of the other cards in addition to the Baby Furok that Magi had in play have to be Naroom/Weave, but the Magi itself would have to be as well. To prevent any confusion that can be caused by sentence structure, however, and to fix a generally unwieldy wording, treat Nightmare's Dawn as if the text were as follows: Nightmare's Dawn Universal Spell Cost: 2 Add five energy to each Magi whose cards in play share all of their regions with their Magi.

Does Nara's effect trigger when using Fireflow or Flame Control, given that Nara's effect applies whenever a spell adds energy to a creature?

Fireflow triggers Nara's effect because it is a move effect, which involves removing energy from one creature and adding it to another. Flame Control does not trigger Nara's effect because it is a rearrange effect, which only changes the position of energy without adding or removing it from play.

Does a Sea Barl played by Orlon ignore all spells, including effects like Sneak Attack that remove starting energy?

No; Orlon's Barls and Wellisks ignore opposing Spells only. This would allow it to ignore an opposing Sneak Attack's energy removal replacement effect.

Is the discarded Creature on Impact a cost so that Impact may now be Climbing Staffed?

Yes; discarding a Creature for Impact is a cost, just as returning a Creature to your hand and discarding its energy for the Gift Spells is a cost as well. And since the Creature loss for Impact is a cost, it can be 'Staffed'.

Should a player show their opponent the card they pull when using abilities like Barak the Red or Arawan that involve searching for a specific class of card?

Yes; though we'd like to trust players to get only what they're supposed to, for competitive play at least, when you search for a specific class of card, you must show it to all players so that they know you have taken the appropriate type of card.

How does Empress Gia work with errata?

Empress Gia's effects should be treated as if they said "Effect - Act Like Gia: If Empress Gia has no Core cards in play, draw an additional card at the end of each of your turns and your Weave Creatures lose one less energy when attacked." and "Effect - Fight Like Nagsis: If Empress Gia has no Core cards in play, all of your Creatures may attack, even those that cannot normally attack."

Does 'discarding' include being defeated in an attack or having all energy removed by a spell?

Yes to both; anything that either directly discards a Creature (such as Shockwave) in addition to the mechanical means of discarding a Creature from play (reducing it to zero energy by any means or if something happens to specifically defeat a Creature's Magi) is discarding a Creature from play.

Should Dream Rift only be playable if there are creatures in the discard pile, similar to how Ring cards require appropriate spells in the discard pile?

No; there are no conditions required to play Dream Rift, unlike using Purity. Purity needs Spells in the discard pile to compare against, while Dream Rift will shuffle Creatures into your deck if it finds them there; otherwise, it just shuffles the deck and allows you to draw three cards.

Can Empress Gia draw an additional card during her draw step if she has no core cards in play, given that she is an alternate Nagsis and thus automatically considered a Core card?

No; treat Empress Gia as if she had the changes mentioned in the opening announcements. Remember, a Magi never has themselves in play.

If an opponent's creature (such as a 2e Parmalag that has used its Shield power) attacks one of Kolte's creatures (such as a 5e Weave Hyren) and takes a Pack Hunting 3e Korrit with it, which creature gets hit by Kolte's Parting Shot effect? Does the Parmalag and Korrit inflict damage simultaneously, and can I choose which creature copes the Parting Shot?

No; in Magi-Nation, when events occur simultaneously, they are still resolved sequentially, in play order beginning with the active player and then each player's effects in the order they choose. In this case, both the Korrit and Parmalag attempt to discard energy simultaneously, but because of the timing structure, the controller of the creatures chooses which creature removes energy first and which second (the defending player also chooses which attacker the Weave Hyren removes 5E from first, then which second, after the attacker since the attacker is the inactive player). Note that Pack Hunt will still stop the defending creature from removing energy from the Korrit, meaning Piercing, etc., will not let the Korrit lose energy anyway. If the Parmalag discards energy first, then the Korrit will be the one defeating the Hyren and will be the victim of Parting Shot, though unaffected by it. If the Korrit discards energy first, then the Parmalag will be affected by Parting Shot instead when it defeats the Hyren, but its energy loss will be reduced to zero if Shield is in effect.

How does the Lascinth's Reflexes Effect work with Pack Hunting? I would assume that the Parmalag would be discarded without getting a chance to remove energy from the Lascinth but the Korrit would still inflict its damage and escape unscathed.

No; the Shield will prevent the Parmalag from being defeated when the Lascinth removes energy, but the Korrit will still be around to remove its energy from the Lascinth when it's the Korrit's turn. If the Shield were not in place, the Parmalag would be discarded before energy was removed.

If Magi A has a Tunnel Parmalag and an Elder Yark in play, both at 7 energy, and Magi B attacks the Tunnel Parmalag with a four-energy Eebit that returns to Magi B's hand, does the Tunnel Parmalag take 4 energy damage or only 2 due to Elder Yark's Regal Presence?

The Tunnel Parmalag only loses two energy; Regal Presence is a replacement effect that replaces the amount initially removed by the Eebit. Essentially, the Eebit only attempts to remove two energy, not four, so the extra two energy is not reduced because it was never attempted to be removed.

If I have a Cliff Hyren in play and I have 2 other KT Creatures, and my opponent has a Poison Baloo Root and uses Wither, how much damage does the Cliff Hyren take? 1 or 3?

The Hyren loses only one energy; Shield does not allow Wither to affect the other Kybar's Teeth Creatures you have in play.

Does Condemn increase the cost of Play/Exchange (P/E) used by a targeted creature by 3, even when the energy loss occurs as a cost of the P/E rather than from a Power/Skill (P/S) effect?

Yes; Cremate is worded a bit awkwardly, and the energy loss is a cost, not actual discard.

If you use Syphon Vortex/Crown against a Magi, you may be able to block it (with Climbing Staff)?

No; a move effect can only successfully happen if it can both discard energy from its source and add energy to its destination, and in such a case, it cannot affect only a Magi and is not 'Staffable'.

Does the Nightmare's Dawn ruling change past precedence regarding dual-region cards? For example, if I play an Ormagon, are my opponent's Underneath creatures no longer just Underneath and therefore discarded? Would Typhoon affect Hurricane Orish or Bubble Xyx?

No, the precedence was not changed. A dual-region card is still all of its regions simultaneously, but in almost every case only one region matters at a time. When a card effect checks for a region on a dual-region card, check if the region matches, then apply the following: If an effect affects only this region and type (e.g., Choose a Naroom Creature), and one of the regions on the card is Naroom, it is a valid choice because it is Naroom. If an effect does not affect cards of only this region (e.g., Discard all non-Underneath Relics from play), and one of the regions on a Relic is Underneath, then it will not be affected because it is Underneath and therefore not non-Underneath. Thus, your Urigant is safe from Devastate, and your Hurricane Orish is unscathed by Typhoon.

If I'm playing Kybar's Teeth and have a Greater Gargagnor and a Kybar's Fang in play, does my Greater Gargagnor and Kybar's Fang stay in play if my opponent plays Cataclysm?

Yes; Cataclysm attempts to discard both cards from play, but they have effects which prevent them from being discarded while they have energy.

If I have multiple Brushfires in my graveyard, can I play each copy of Brushfire in my discard pile once per turn or can I only play Brushfire once per turn from my discard pile?

No; Brushfire restricts itself to only allow one to be played from the discard pile each turn, regardless of how many are there.

Does Re-Koil shuffle Koil back into the deck when used on oneself?

No; Re-Koil does not trigger until the Koil is placed in the discard pile, so it will be shuffled into your deck if you Re-Koil yourself.

Can I use Warlum to play Kybar's Fang for free?

Yes; if your Magi may legally play Kybar's Fang, then yes; Warlum's Power allows playing Relics ignoring all costs.

Are spells that the opponent plays with Heart of Sky or Hand of Sky considered opposing spells for cards like Colossus, since they are my spells?

Yes; any card that an opponent plays or controls is considered opposing, regardless of ownership.

If the opponent uses Shadow Cloak's power and on my turn I discard it with Relic Stalker, is the power still active?

Yes; discarding a Relic from play does not normally cancel any ongoing effects it has.

Is League Elder allowed to cast the Crushing spell from the players region of choice when he is revealed or is he considered to be a Universal Magi that can play that Region without penalty?

League Elder changes to the region named instead of Universal, meaning he can play Crushing Spells of the appropriate region.

Can I use Climbing Staff to counter Riptide if my opponent has fewer than 4 cards in their hand, since Riptide would not affect their hand in that case?

Yes, you can use Climbing Staff to counter Riptide in that situation. When a player casts Riptide and has fewer than four cards in their hand, they do not discard any cards, so their hand is not affected. According to the definition of 'affect,' a hand is only considered affected when its contents are changed (such as through discarding) or revealed. Since the opponent's hand remains unchanged, it is not affected. Therefore, Riptide only affects your hand, and Climbing Staff can be discarded in response to prevent the effect from occurring.

Can using Cleansing on a Turned Pylofuf that is now a Core creature make all copies of Pylofuf become Kybar's Teeth?

No; Cleansing may only be used on non-Magi cards that are printed as Core or considered to be printed as Core, i.e., an Entombed Spell (currently the only two cards in the game that can edit printed values). Changing one copy of a card in play to a different region doesn't apply to other copies of it; otherwise, while that Pylofuf in play was Core, the Underneath player would not be able to play anymore from hand because of regional restrictions.

Do the two effects on Voice of the Storm stack?

There is only one effect, but the possibilities of that effect do not stack; for the sake of clarity: Effect - Diplomacy: When you play a Creature, if it is Arderial and you have an Orothe Creature in play, reduce the played Creature's cost by one. Or, if the Creature played is Orothe and you have an Arderial Creature in play, reduce the played Creature's cost by one. Diplomacy may not reduce a Creature's cost to less than one, and may not reduce its cost by more than one.

Is the new Orothe league promo spell officially MRP'd to draw 2 cards?

Yes.

With Zannah, does my first attack (or spell that would discard energy from one of my creatures) result in no energy discard? For example, if I have a Forest Hyren in play with Zannah, and it attacks a Giant Baldar, would the Forest Hyren take any damage?

Zannah was MRPed to opposing turns only; additionally, unlike Resistance style effects, which prevent energy removal from ever being applied to what they protect, Zannah waits for the removal to be applied, then removes the removal, effectively reducing it to zero. Because of this, Piercing will still supercede Charm.

My opponent has a Pylofuf, Digging Goggles, and Strag's Claws in play. I have a pair of Handy Dandy Yark Gloves. The Pylofuf has 5 energy. If the Pylofuf attacks one of my creatures, who dictates the effects order, and would I be able to 'Yark' it back down to 5? Or would the opponent get to choose the Yark Gloves to go off first and then add one due to the Claws? What about if it had 6 energy?

Active player's effects always resolve first; the Claws would add one energy to the Pylofuf, then the Gloves will reduce it to its starting energy.

Can I use the card Corrupt on a Magi during their first turn, and does this violate the rule that nothing can affect a Magi until they take their first turn?

Corrupt does not actually affect a Magi; choosing a card and affecting it are separate events. Corrupt attaches to a Magi but does not alter its game state—such as changing energy, removing it from play, or otherwise impacting it—so it does not count as 'affecting' the Magi. Therefore, using Corrupt on a Magi during their first turn is legal, and you can also use other effects like Hubdra's Spear, Warrior's Boots, or magi-damaging spells after attaching Corrupt, as long as those effects directly impact the Magi.

If there is a multiplayer game with two Kybar's Teeth players and both of those players are using Jasker's Mask, do the Energize effects stack? Will all magi gain the extra 5 energize, making for 10 extra energy? Also, do the spell cost penalties from the mask stack?

Yes to both questions; Jasker's Mask's effect does not limit itself to only one being used at a time, so not only does the energize boost stack, but the spell cost penalty does as well.

If I am playing a Chogus/Perpetual Motion deck and have more than one Crag Quor, Gratch, Xampf, or Yebed out and the conditions for their effects to trigger are met (with or without a Chogus, Garganor, or Jagt), do those effects stack? Specifically, would my magi gain energy more than once, would my KT creatures gain even more extra energy, and would my opponent's creatures lose extra energy?

Yes; none of those effects state that they aren't cumulative, and so they all stack.

With Arosa's new wording, does the creature get returned as the first step in Arosa's turn (before I can utilize something like "None for you")?

Yes; the beginning of the turn happens long before the first Spells, Powers, and Relics step.

A. If Akkar is burrowed and attacked by a 10 energy creature, does the damage first get reduced by 2 due to invulnerability and then capped at 2, resulting in a net 2 energy loss instead of 0? Is this because reductions are applied before capping?

Yes; the general rule is that you apply all reductions before you apply caps.

B. If I use Dream Burn or Syphon Vortex to remove X energy from my magi, does that X energy get placed on my magi? If I use Dream Burn or Syphon Vortex with a Scroll of Fire in play, does the vortex deal X+1 damage to the magi and would my magi receive X, X+1, or 0 energy back? What about if Valkan is involved, since he only affects creatures and not magi?

Both Valkan's and the Scroll's effects only apply to energy discard from Creatures, so in both cases, the energy removal will not be increased. Additionally, for simplicity's sake, a move effect adds the amount of energy that it discarded, i.e., reducing the discard reduces the add, and increasing the discard increases the add. We apologize for any confusion over past rulings on the matter.

So evil evu wouldn't be discarded by orwin's ring???

Yes, Evil Evu would be discarded; there is a distinction between the cards you as a player have in play, as opposed to what your Magi has in play; Purity refers to discarding cards you, as a player, have in play, including your Magi.

If I have a Mantle of Shadows in play and I am not a Shadow Magi, can I play Crushing Darkness?

Yes, if your Magi is not a Shadow Magi, they can play Crushing Darkness if they have the means to do so, such as having the Spell cleansed or possessing a Mantle of Shadows.

Can you play Turn on a creature at its starting energy if Spellfire will deal 1 damage to it?

No; you may not play a Spell if there will not be a valid choice available to be made for it upon playing it. The Turn requires a creature in play with less than its starting energy to be chosen before it can be played, because the choice determines the cost. While Spellfire could potentially reduce another creature's energy below its starting value, allowing you to choose that creature instead, you cannot choose a creature that becomes illegal after selection. If no valid creature exists at the time of playing Turn, the spell cannot be cast.

Can a Shell protect my Orothe creatures from a Cataclysm? Does having a relic on the board make any difference?

Yes; your creatures are unaffected by the spells of the chosen opposing magi, which generally means an opposing Cataclysm cannot discard your creatures. Shell does not interfere with how Cataclysm is played, but rather during resolution, so it prevents the effect of Cataclysm on your creatures regardless of whether a relic is on the board.

If I have Orothean Belt in play and I Heal 5 of my creatures for 1 energy each, will the Belt give each creature an additional energy, or do I get nothing, or 6 total, or what?

Yes; each chosen Creature gains one energy, and the Belt does not need a Spell to add energy to 'only' one Creature, just that a Spell add energy to a Creature.

Why are Colossus and Crystal Parmalag not affected by Cataclysm, which states 'Discard all non-Magi cards from play'? The card effects for Colossus and Crystal Parmalag state that they cannot be specifically discarded by cards that specifically discard Creatures or Relics, but Cataclysm does not mention those words.

Because any card effect that discards another card from play because of what type that card is (in this case, 'non-Magi') specifically discards the card from play. The phrase 'specifically discard' was intended to reflect the 'specific' use of the word 'discard', and is no longer used on current printings of Magi-Nation cards.

If I use the Interchange power on a Giant Parathin and my current magi is also my last magi, can I still Interchange?

No, you may not Interchange with your final Magi because there must be at least one reserve Magi to Interchange with; since you do not have a 'next Magi', you cannot perform the Interchange action due to insufficient valid cards to affect (a current Magi and a next Magi).

When you use Hrada's Tainted Touch ability on an opposing Magi, can your opponent still play Universal Creatures, Spells, and Relics without any sort of penalty even though their Magi is a Shadow Magi of its original region until the effects of Tainted Touch wear off?

Yes; the rules already allow Core (or Shadow) Magi to use Universal cards without penalty. Additionally, Universal Shadow Magi created by Tainted Touch (for instance, if Hrada's opponent is Rayje) have the ability to choose whether or not to pay a regional penalty of one when playing Universal Creatures and Spells, since Tainted Touch says they MAY do so.

Do the Tomes ignore card restrictions such as 'only Shadow Magi and Magi of the same region can play them' when playing spells from my deck or an opponent's discard pile?

No; those restrictions are not, by the definition of the rules, 'regional restrictions'. Research will not allow your Magi to play a Crushing Spell that your Magi could not already play, because the only regional restrictions recognized by the rules are: Core Magi - The inability to play non-Core, non-Universal cards. Non-Core Magi - The inability to play Core Cards and non-Universal Relics not of their region.

In an online match, one player locked down Shell Game a turn after it was used. Does this mean that Arosa keeps the creature at the end of the other player's turn, or does she return the opposing player's creature?

Yes; Arosa's Effect attaches a specific duration to the exchange, and when that duration passes, all Creatures left in play will return to their owner, even if Arosa has been defeated (another possible way of creating an 'orphan' Creature).

Does Rayje's Belt work retroactively? For example, a player is playing as Ellios and uses Dream Hard. He then plays a Rayje's Belt and locks down Dream Hard. Does he get the benefit of Dream Hard, or does Rayje's Belt go back and nullify the use of that particular Dream Hard?

No; again, these Effects have a specific duration, and will still finish resolving even if the source of the effect is shut down. In these cases, Lockdown simply prevents the Effect from activating again during Lockdown's duration. The easy way to look at this is with, say, Elios, as per your example. Let's say Dream Hard is a cannon that fires during the Energize step and its cannonball hits the target during the Draw step. Once the cannon has fired, you can destroy the cannon if you like, but that will do nothing to stop the cannonball from taking effect during the Draw step ('resolving' the cannon's 'Effect'). This is similar to why a Creature leaving play when using a Power doesn't stop the Power from resolving; if a Creature blows itself up lobbing a fireball at you, it's extinction will not stop the fireball flying at you from hitting, either.

Does the relic have to be the same region as the magi or universal to be able to play it when discarded from Warlum's ability?

Yes; all rules for playing Relics apply, no matter how they are played, including regional restrictions.

Do you have to pay any costs if the relic has a cost on it when played using Warlum's Materialize Power?

Warlum's Materialize Power allows the Relic to be played ignoring all costs.

Can you use Powers, through the use of Bloom or Bahza's Pendant, out of turn if they specify they must be played before or after a specific Step of your turn? Example: Can I Bloom/Bahza's Pendant and use M'Lady Iyori's Power, Natural Selection?

All Powers that must be used before a specific step apply to that specific step of any turn; most recent printings of such Powers reflect that. If you have a Power that may only be used before your Attack step, you may Bloom it during the opponent's first P/S/R step, but not during their second, since it is after their Attack step.

If I have 5 Orothe Relics in play (including Orlon's Ring), 3 creatures in play, and M'rika as my current Magi with another Magi yet to be shown, and M'rika has no energy at the end of my turn, does M'rika's ability go off first, or does Orlon's Ring go off first, or can I choose the order?

When two card effects are triggered simultaneously, the owner of the effects chooses the order they resolve in. Both effects mentioned will be triggered at the same time (end of your turn), and since you control the order they resolve in, you choose which will resolve first. If you resolve Purity first, then M'rika will gain five energy, and then Interchange will fail because she has energy. If you resolve Interchange first, M'rika will interchange, the next Magi will receive their starting energy, then Purity will resolve and add five energy to the new Magi.

If Agram has Agram's Staff in play, is he allowed to play any card that specifically says it can be played by a Shadow Magi, including Crushing spells regardless of region?

No; the Crushing Spells are more specifically restrictive because they specifically do not allow non-Shadow, non-regional Magi to play them, as opposed to the Staff, which gives a blanket 'okay' to the cards of any Shadow Magi.

Since Bagala Fangs' Ups Power lasts until the start of your next turn, does a Nodj's current energy get 'restored' to 10 if it had Ups used on it the turn before?

No; effects that end at a specific time stop immediately before effects that would occur at that same time. Ups will end, then Nodj will restore itself to five starting energy.

Does having a Rala Tail and three Ralas in play allow each of my creatures to use their powers 5 times in one turn?

No; note that Yaki's Gauntlets use the phrase 'an additional time' whereas all of the Ralas and the Tail use 'one additional time'. They will not be cumulative with each other.

If I have two different Effects on the table that say "at the end of your turn...", do I choose which one happens first?

Yes; whenever simultaneous effects happen, each player decides the order their effects will resolve, beginning with the active player, and continuing in play order.

Ninx has Rayje's cloak in play with no energy. Ninx stares down the opposing magi. The opposing player drops a climbing staff. Who would win out in this situation?

The Climbing Staff. The Climbing Staff does not prevent the use of the Power, it lets the Power happen, it just makes it 'do nothing'.

If Sandswirl is played against a Magi, when does it go into effect? Does it go into effect immediately or on the next turn?

Immediately; currently, whenever a card refers to the 'next X turns', it includes the current turn as well. Future cards will be templated to state 'X turns, beginning with the current one'.

Why were energy transfer cards changed and which ones?

Energy transfer cards were changed to place a starting energy 'cap' on them, aligning with the mechanics of Updraft effects. Previously, these cards allowed open-ended energy transfers, enabling decks to create large Creatures and transfer all their energy to Magi in a single card cycle—unlike Updraft effects, which required multiple actions. To prevent abuse, the cards were redesigned so they now have a capped starting energy and allow variable movement of energy rather than requiring full transfer. This change maintains versatility while preventing infinite loops or overpowered energy cycling. The affected cards are: Cloud Narth (Starting Energy: 2), Pharan (Starting Energy: 3), Diobor (Starting Energy: 6), Shadow Rain (Cost: 2), Diomant (Starting Energy: 6), and Giant Arboll (Starting Energy: 6).

How was Rala affected by errata and why?

Rala was errata-ed to limit the Wild Blooming effect so that only one of a chosen Paradwyn Creature's Powers can be used a second time per turn, rather than allowing all Powers to be replicated. This change was made because the original ability proved overpowered when combined with cards like K'Teeb, which could copy strong Powers such as those of Fog Hyren and Poison Baloo Root, enabling a single K'Teeb to draw large portions of a deck or discard an entire opposing group of Creatures. The errata restricts this interaction while removing the penalty of discarding the Creature after using Wild Blooming.

How was Rala Tail affected by errata and why?

Rala Tail's ability was errata'd to restrict Wild Blooming so that only one of a chosen Paradwyn Creature's Powers can be used a second time per turn, rather than allowing all Powers to be replicated. This change was made because the original effect was overpowered when combined with cards like K'Teeb, which could copy strong Powers such as those of Fog Hyren and Poison Baloo Root, enabling excessive card draw or discarding of opposing Creatures. The errata prevents this abuse by limiting the additional use to just one Power per turn and removing the discard penalty for using it.

How was River Abaquist affected by errata and why?

River Abaquist was nerfed through errata to reduce its unbalancing power and efficiency. The changes ensure it is no longer an overly powerful card that dominates certain decks, making it more balanced while still usable in specific strategies.

How was Sandswirl affected by errata and why?

Sandswirl was errata'd to prevent it from being played on cards you control, ensuring it could only target opposing Creatures or Magi, as originally intended. It was also changed so that it is no longer discarded after its effect ends, instead remaining in play until removed by another effect (such as Beam of Light). These changes were made because Sandswirl previously allowed players to negate unavoidable drawbacks and created bookkeeping issues due to its discard pile placement. Additionally, its inability to be countered once played made it overpowered compared to other 'Lockdown' effects, leading to widespread use in decks; the errata balanced this by making it both controllable and consistent with game design principles.

How was Sand Strands affected by errata and why?

Sand Strands was errata'd to fix an unbalancing energy gain issue caused by its original Mirage effect. Originally, players could repeatedly discard Sand Strands to transfer half of a creature's current energy (up to half its printed starting energy) to their Magi while making the chosen creature Illusionary. This allowed players to grow creatures to massive energy levels, then cycle Sand Strands each turn to drain energy without risk, creating an unsustainable advantage. The errata adjusted the effect so that the energy gain is now balanced and directly tied to the Illusionary state—allowing energy transfer only at the cost of making the creature Illusionary, with no repeated abuse through cycling.

How was Spray Narth affected by errata and why?

Spray Narth was errata'd so that it is discarded from play after using its Power - Healing Storm effect. This change was made because, unlike larger Creatures, Spray Narth is too small to allow flexibility in survival after moving energy; without the discard, playing multiple copies of this card along with other energy gain cards could lead to abuse of the ability.

How was Habob affected by errata and why?

Habob was updated to clarify its interaction with the Energy Cap rule, ensuring that moving energy from Habob to a Magi does not cause the player to exceed their energy cap when using the Serve effect. This change maintains game balance by preventing potential infinite loops or unintended advantages in energy management.

How was Spray Narth affected by errata and why?

Spray Narth was errata'd so that it is discarded from play after using its Power - Healing Storm effect, which moves energy to a chosen Creature or Magi. This change was made because, unlike larger Creatures, Spray Narth is too small to survive the energy transfer without discarding, and without this discard mechanism, playing multiple copies of Spray Narth along with other energy gain cards could lead to abuse of its ability.

What are some of the errata related to River Abaquist, Sand Strands, and Sandswirl?

River Abaquist, Sand Strands, and Sandswirl were all lowered in power due to their abuse in specific decks, with changes made to prevent overpowered strategies. These adjustments were part of a broader set of errata aimed at maintaining game balance while preserving strategic depth and playability.

If a Taglat copies Hubdra's Cube and Barqua's Bubble using its power, what happens to the relics and the Taglats?

The Relics would be placed on top of each of the Taglats. The Relics would then be under your control, and you could use them as if you had stolen them with Relic Subversion. The Relics will stay there even if the Power leaves the Taglats, though the Relics will still follow all of the 'rules' placed on them with Relic Subversion (if a Taglat leaves play, the Relic on it is discarded). If a Taglat with a Relic later copies Relic Subversion again, it will not be able to use the Power, since the Taglat has a Relic on it.

I had a Flutteryup in play. My opponent had an Aerial Flist that attacked. It started the attack at 3E, but Charge added 1E more to it bringing it to 4E. In which order would the effects resolve? Does Dodge kick in or does the energy added to the Aerial Flist not count when considering effects?

Both Effects have the same trigger in this situation—whenever the Flist attacks (the Flutter Yup)/whenever the Flutter Yup is attacked (by the Flist)—and would therefore resolve in order of the active player and then other players in play order. Since it's your turn, Charge resolves first, making it 4E, then Dodge resolves, preventing the Flutter Yup from losing any energy in the attack because the Flist has 4E.

Does Abraxin's Crown (Cald Relic) effect 'Dream Burn' allow discarding energy from both a single Magi and creature when using powers or spells that normally only target one?

No; Dreamburn very simply lets you choose a single Magi whenever one of your Spells or Powers lets you choose to discard energy from a single Creature, or the reverse, whenever one of your Spells or Powers lets you choose a single Magi to discard energy from you may choose to discard the energy from a Creature.

If Sandswirl is played against a Magi, when does it go into effect? Does it take effect immediately or on the next turn?

Immediately; currently, whenever a card refers to 'the next X turns', it includes the current turn as well. Future cards will be templated to state 'X turns, beginning with the current one'.

Based on this ruling, does Morag's ability still only count your turns in relation to the number of turns Morag retains an opposing Relic?

Morag, as errataed, actually has a conflicting wording; he refers to controlling a Relic specifically for your next X turns, then refers to controlling it for only X turns in general. The following is the 'true' wording: Morag Core Magi Starting Energy: 14 ENERGIZE: 7 STARTING: Borgor, Shryque, Dream Rift Power - Theft: (X) Choose any one opposing Relic in play. Gain control of the chosen Relic for X turns, beginning with the current turn. At the end of X turns, or if Morag is defeated, return the chosen Relic to its owner's hand. This is an official clarification/edit of the errata, and all related documents will be updated to reflect it.

If two effects are happening at the same time, and I get to choose the order for one but not the other, can I still choose which resolves first when multiple effects from different players occur simultaneously?

All effects controlled by different players that occur simultaneously resolve in play order, beginning with the active player. If a player has multiple effects that occur simultaneously, they choose the order in which those effects resolve.

Why can't I choose to resolve effect X, then effect Y, and then have effect Z end when all three are happening at the same time?

Game balance prevents this sequencing. Technically, each condition occurs at separate moments in time—effects that last 'until whenever' are distinct from those that trigger 'at whenever,' so even if they seem simultaneous, the timing is separated; for example, an offer ending at midnight cannot be extended by someone arriving the split-second it expires.

Is question four incorrect regarding Rala's ability allowing an additional time?

No, question four is correct. Although Rala and Tail have been errataed, they have always allowed only one additional time, as confirmed by the errata text.

If I play Sandswirl and pay 1 for it, does it wear off at the end of my current turn or at the end of my opponent's next turn?

Sandswirl will stop (and be discarded) at the end of your current turn if X = 1.

The Awakening spell says to put it on the table after you play it. My question is that for spells like Awakening (which don't say that it is in play), are they ever considered to be in play? I'm just wondering for things like beam of light. Are spells like Awakening and Sandswirl available targets for a beam of light?

Any card that remains on the table is in play the entire time it remains on the table, including Awakening. Sandswirl (before errata) did not stay on the table, and so did not remain in play (meaning that, once it resolved, it was unstoppable, leading in part to its change).

Can you play "The Real Qwade" as a first magi since you have no previous magi and his game text would not trigger?

The Real Qwade must follow Qwade, or he is defeated when he is revealed.

Does the Wind Hyren's text set precedence for all effects as that they don't stack, or does this one specifically limit Invigorate to one, preventing the big Energize decks?

The Wind Hyren's Invigorate only applies to other Powers and Effects named Invigorate (including the Tree Hinko's Power).

C. Many cards state at the beginning of your turn. Is there an actual beginning of my turn step, or is my energize step the beginning of my turn? If the energize step is the beginning of my turn, can I then resolve effects (being the active player) in an order of my choosing?

Beginning of turn effects occur immediately before beginning of Energize step effects, just as end of turn effects occur immediately after end of Draw step effects.

D. If Aula Mindseeker's power is belted or sandswirled, can I then draw more cards, and does her effect affect end of the turn drawing?

Mindseeker's Power of Windsight creates an ongoing effect that persists even if her or her Power leaves play or cannot be used, so even in the case of Sandswirl or Lockdown afterwards, you cannot draw any further cards that turn. This restriction also applies to cards drawn during the Draw step.

Since Storm Wings has a power, do I have to activate it the turn I play it?

No; nothing on the card or in the rules suggests that a Power must be used the turn the card it's on is played.

Can I trigger a spirit spell by defeating my own magi on an opponent's turn?

If you can manage this, then, yes, you may play the appropriate Spirit. Also, a dual Magi only counts as two magi for deck construction. It still counts as one magi when in play.

If a creature is defeated while attacking, and the ability allows me to play a creature immediately paying all costs, can that creature also attack this turn since it is in the attack step?

Yes.

The swamp moga doesn't say whether the bonus two energy removed is bestowing an effect on the creatures or just bestowing a bonus 2 imaginary energy (reason asking is burrow)?

It is doing neither. As with all 'remove additional energy' card effects, when a Creature assigns its energy total to be removed from the opposing Creature during attack resolution, the number assigned is increased by the additional amount. This means that card effects like Burrow will still reduce/cap the amount.

Is Magam Ringsmith worded properly so that if I trigger say a bog wellisks effect on my turn that it would have two energy added to it?

Flame Boost can only be triggered during Magam's turn, with Flame Strike happening during opposing turns. If you were playing Magam Ringsmith, and an opponent was able to use Dream Draft to play a Bog Wellisk during your turn before you played Creatures, it would gain the two energy from Flame Boost; similarly, if you were able to play a Creature during an opposing turn before the opponent does, your Creature would trigger Flame Strike and it would lose two energy.

In regards to Flameplate Armor, does a creature's attack count as discarding energy from your Magi?

Yes.

Does the Rabid Wasperine attack before energy is removed on the initial target, or does it come in after the attack is resolved and attack the possibly non-existent creature?

Counterattack may not be used until after the attack resolves. If the Creature that attacked is no longer around, then the Rabid Wasperine simply cannot attack anything.

If the Storm Ring is in play, does Rabid Waspine gain energy as it attacks?

Yes. The attack caused by Counterattack is still an attack like any other.

Does Harror stop the Twins from playing all creatures and all spells or just Entomb?

Just Entomb; references to starting cards refer to named starting cards.

If I phrup a Bulabantu, will the as you play effect still resolve or does phrup completely deny the act of playing a card?

Bulabantu's effect does not have 'as' timing; it does not occur until it enters play, so Time Lapse will stop it from occurring.

If I use the D'resh card which allows me to reduce a creature's cost by half, can I use that with an illusionary creature and if so, can it then cost 0 to play?

Yes, if no reduction you apply has a 'minimum of one' stipulation. Whenever you have multiple cost reductions, the highest minimum applies. Example - You play a Creature with a four cost, and have three effects that reduce its cost; one by two, to a minimum of two, one by one, to a minimum of one, and another by one, with no minimum. If you choose to apply the two, then the first 'one' (minimum one) and finally the second 'one', this would happen: a. Four cost reduced to two. b. The 'reduce by one, minimum one' is applied, but as the 'minimum two' barrier has been reached, no reduction can apply. c. Cost attempted to be reduced by another one, but this again fails as the two barrier has been reached.

Does the Thrybe allow for spells that reference themselves, and does it allow for all spells to be used?

Only D'resh Spells may be used, as printed on the card. Also, it allows self-referential Spells to be used.

With Amulet of Sand in play, when I play a spell, does the Amulet resolve first or the spell?

The Spell resolves first.

In regards to Horizon's Mirage, it states that at the end of your next turn place the creature in play with its starting energy. Current rules have led to confusion where some believe your current turn counts as your next turn, causing Burrow (spell) to cost more and Morag's power to increase. Is this correct?

No such references have been made in rulings past; Horizon's Mirage plays the Creature at the end of your next turn, as it states, meaning your next turn (the turn you have after your current turn). If the Creature cannot legally be played for some reason, Horizon's Mirage is still discarded, and the Creature (with nowhere else to go) is placed in the discard pile.

If a power is having its cost reduced and increased at the same time, which resolves first? For example, if a spell makes core powers cost two less, but frozen makes Zung's power cost one more, which resolves?

Such conditions on cards in play do not trigger and resolve; they are static. If a Power costs one additional energy to play and simultaneously costs two less energy to play, as long as the requirements for those changes are met, the end result is the Power costing one less energy to play.

If multiple cards are reducing the cost of a spell like Sand Hyren and none specify a minimum cost, can you resolve their effects in order so that the last one reduces the cost to zero?

See O above. If none of the reductions have a minimum, they can keep stacking, up to a reduction of zero.

Would the Icefield Ashryte be able to discard a Tunnel Parmalag from a Straight Kybars Teeth Magi or a Striped Korrit from a Straight Weave Magi?

No; they share regions with their Magi, and so are not of a different region.

In regards to 'When' vs. 'As' cards, is it true that all cards which say 'when' trigger only after all events related to the triggering event are completed, and only if the card in question is still in play when it would trigger?

Yes, 'When/Whenever' triggers occur after the card or event in question has resolved. 'As' triggers occur immediately when the card is revealed or an event is declared, after all costs are played but before a card resolves or enters play. 'Immediately after' triggers happen at the same time as 'When/Whenever' but take precedence over any other effects.

Does Phrup's Time Lapse effect work as if it said 'As...' rather than 'When'?

Yes, Time Lapse has been previously clarified to have 'As' timing. This means Phrup can trigger immediately when an opponent plays a card, after costs are paid but before the card resolves.

In a conflict between Time Lapse and Spell Drain, does Spell Drain add energy to the Magi?

No; because Time Lapse prevents the card from resolving by returning it to its owner's hand, the card never satisfies the timing requirement of Spell Drain, so no energy is added.

How would Karse's Effect Fury affect Tidal Wave when targeting two creatures?

Tidal Wave would not be reduced by Fury because it is a six-cost spell with a secondary effect that costs an additional four energy to discard a second creature during resolution. The total cost of the card remains 10, but the reduction only applies if the entire card's base cost is seven or more energy. Since Tidal Wave's base cost is six, the cost reduction from Fury does not apply.

Can Scyalla start with two Darkbreed's Minion cards, and if so, would they be considered minions despite being alternate Ash Hyrens?

No, she cannot start with two of the same card, and Darkbreed's Minion is an Ash Hyren. Since an Alternate card is considered to have both names in the name box (e.g., "Darkbreed's Minion/Ash Hyren"), being a Hyren makes it illegal to choose for Scyalla’s starting cards due to the Hyren restriction.

Can Scyalla use Pet Project to make minion part of her weave, even though Darkbreed's Minion is an alternate Ash Hyren?

Yes, she can. She may name "Darkbreed", "Minion", or "Ash" as her creature type for Pet Project, since the restriction only prohibits naming "Hyren"; other types—even those that include or encompass Hyrens (like Forest, Ash, Night, Mushroom)—are allowed.

If a frozen creature has a power with no listed energy cost, does it gain an additional energy cost of one when the creature is frozen?

Yes, a frozen card with a Power that has no energy cost gains an additional energy cost of one when used.

If a creature loses zero energy in an attack or from a spell, does Sunburn add two more, or does Sunburn only trigger when damage is done?

No; Sunburn only increases energy loss when energy loss actually occurs. If no energy is discarded, then Sunburn does nothing.

Essence of Frost states that all cards in play are frozen. Didn't a previous ruling state that Magi never have themselves in play, so Essence of Frost wouldn't affect them?

A Magi does not have itself in play, but a Magi, like any other card on the table that doesn't say otherwise, is in play. Essence of Frost would freeze the Magi.

When Fiend of Furoks plays a Furok, is it technically a Core creature or is it still the region it is when played from the discard pile?

The Furok is still of its printed region(s); unless it is a Dark Furok, it probably won't be Core.

Is using a power on a creature considered discarding energy from the creature? (Hence triggering Dryte Fiend or Sunburn)

No; spending energy to use a Power does not trigger any lose/discard effects.

Spirit of Core does not state a Shadow Magi can play it. Is it truly limited to just Core Magi? (Like the Crush spell?) And if that is true, could you entomb a Spirit spell for a Shadow Magi?

Crushing Darkness cannot be played by Shadow Magi; Spirit of the Core does not have that restriction, and can be played by all Core Magi, even Shadow Magi. Entombing a regional Spirit would not allow Shadow Magi to play it, though it would stop non-Core Magi of the region from playing it.

If I play Spirit of Arderial, am I correct in assuming I have not discarded a card from an opponent's hand?

Shuffling cards into a deck is not considered discarding them.

Does Sunburn stack?

It does not say that it cannot, so yes.

If Brushfire is played during the beginning P/S/R phase and then discarded, can it be used again the same turn in the same P/S/R phase or the second P/S/R phase?

If there is a Brushfire in your discard pile, you may play it at any time you could play a Spell from your hand, as long as you have not already played a Brushfire from the discard pile that turn. It does not matter how or when the Brushfire ended up in your discard pile.

A. The Coal Ergar has multiple effects in its power text. Does the active player get to choose the order in which these effects resolve, or must they follow the order written in the card's text?

The effects resolve in the order specified by the card: first, discard one energy from each opposing Creature with more energy than Coal Ergar; next, discard one energy from each Orothe Creature; finally, discard two energy from Coal Ergar.

B. Some creatures cause energy loss that cannot be modified by opposing cards. Can I use my own cards, such as the Scroll of Fire, to modify the amount of energy discarded by a creature like Nalo?

Yes; if the energy loss specifically cannot be modified by 'opposing' cards, your own cards may still increase or decrease the amount of energy removed—only opposing cards are restricted.

C. Rayje's Sword is said to cut through anything, but what happens when Piercing is locked down? Can it still cut through Rayje's Belt under those conditions?

No; if Piercing cannot be used due to lockdown, it cannot be used—Lockdown overrides the effect of Piercing.

D. Kesia can only play Weave spells. Does this restriction also prevent her from playing Universal spells?

Yes; she cannot play Universal Spells or any other non-Weave spell cards.

E. Spirit cards state that you can only play one per Magi when they are defeated. Does this mean one total, regardless of region, or can a dual-region Magi choose between two different spirit cards?

Only one Spirit card may be played when a Magi is defeated; a dual-region Magi cannot play a Spirit from each region, nor can they play more than one Spirit in total.

F. If I hold a relic like the Underlord's Shield and my Magi cannot use it (e.g., due to being unable to play Underneath relics), but an opponent forces me to discard a card—can I still use the shield’s effect to counter that discard?

No; if you cannot legally play the Underlord's Shield, then when discarded from your hand, it goes directly to the discard pile and its ability cannot be used.

If I have 3 Cataclysms in my deck and my starting magi is Harror, do I get to start with all three of them in my starting hand? (Same thing with Bubble Xyx, Urhail, etc.)

No; like any other starting card, the Magi may only retrieve one copy.

Does the Sandstone Hyren's effect of super invulnerability count when considering cards like Targ'n or Celebrated Hero?

No; effects that affect creatures based on invulnerability do not affect Sandstone Hyren.

If I have Great Throne of Mushrooms in play and someone plays Cataclysm, do I get to use its text, which reads 'whenever one of your creatures is discarded from play, you may discard one energy from your magi to draw a card'? Or is everything simultaneously discarded?

Everything is simultaneously discarded, but the Great Throne of Mushrooms doesn't care; you can pay one energy for as many of your creatures as you want and draw a card for each.

If I have a dual-region Creature in play, is it considered to not be of one of its regions? For example, would Devastate discard my Granas?

No; if a card has a region, it cannot 'not' be of that region. In your example, Granas is not "non-Underneath", and endures the Devastate.

If I use Thrybe's Dream Infusion to place Sunburn on a Warrior Olum, what happens when I try to use Sunburn's power? Can Nahara copy Sunburn if it doesn't reference the Olum but instead references the original card?

The Sunburn card will be attached to the Creature chosen for the Power. Without a card to reference attached to the Olum, the Power Sunburn may not be used again unless the Spell is re-Remembranced onto the Creature.

When Szhar is discarded by Yaromant's effect, do I draw two cards from Szhar's ability and does my opponent gain one energy from Yaromant?

Yes, the Szhar is discarded. You may draw two cards and the opponent may add one energy.

If I play Amulet of Sand and then cast Sunburn on an opposing creature, can I choose to let the spell resolve before applying Amulet of Sand's effect to maximize damage?

As stated in 7Q, the Spell resolves first.

Does Poad, Innkeeper count as a Keeper since he has 'Keeper' in his flavor text or description?

No, he is not a Keeper, because he does not have 'keeper' in his title box.

The effect of Spirit of the Core says "when one of your core magi is defeated." Does this apply only to pure Core Magi (non-shadow, non-dual regional), or all Core Magi including Shadow/Multi-region ones?

No; this applies to any Core Magi, including Shadow/Multi-region Magi.

Spirit of Orothe changes the next magi's starting cards. Is this effect permanent? If that magi casts Redream, can they acquire any one Orothe creature? What about Yerthe—can he get any Hyren or Rayje card, or any universal card via Redream?

Yes, the effect is permanent, no, you cannot Redream an 'any' card; when a card refers to affecting based on starting cards, it means only named starting cards. Rayje could Redream nothing, Yerthe could only Redream a Staff of Hyren, etc.

Dakat's Power Deja Vu says: (2) Discard a card from your hand. The next time this turn one of your Spells or Powers removes energy from an opposing Creature, choose another Creature in play. Remove an equal amount of energy from the chosen Creature. How does this work with multi-target Spells like Thunderquake and Stone Storm? If I use Thunderquake to remove 5E from one creature, 3E from another, and 2E from a third, can I then apply Deja Vu three times to choose three new creatures and remove the same amounts of energy? Can I target the same creatures again in different order? Or does Deja Vu only trigger after damage is assigned to the first creature? Does it even work with multi-target Spells like these?

Deja Vu is worded ambiguously; the intent is the next single Creature, and so a Thunderquake (or similar multi-affecting Spell) is not triggered by Deja Vu. If the Thunderquake is discarding energy from only one Creature, then Deja Vu may then amplify it.

How does Mohani, d'Resh Magi's Imbue Spell ability interact with spells that say to 'attach' the spell to its target, such as Sandswirl, Horizon's Mirage, and Sunburn?

Attaching is the act of taking the card being attached and placing it with the card it is being attached to, or otherwise noting that they are 'together'. When a spell that normally attaches is imbued as a Power via Mohani, d'Resh Magi's ability, the spell card is passed off to the Power's first victim, meaning it can no longer be used as a Power.

Sand Hyren - the mpr doesn't say 'to a minimum of one', is this a mistake?

Correct, this is a mistake. The effect should still say 'to a minimum of one'.

Specificity - specifically is no longer in the Magi-Nation lexicon, correct? Then does Djarvish's effect trigger when anything "discards" a creature, correct? How would this be affected by my previous question (the Yaromant, Szhar one)?

Correct; D'Jarvish's Effect will return your Burrowed and Illusionary Creatures to hand even from opposing energy discard, and even if you caused it to happen by attacking an opposing Creature and having yours defeated.

Gherish: Drift - Do you have to remove energy, as it says "up to two", could you just remove zero energy from one of your creatures?

Yes, you may choose not to move any energy with Drift.

If I have zero creatures and three relics in play, or zero relics and three creatures in play, can I target any opposing creature with River Abaquist's ability?

If you have zero Relics or zero Creatures, there will be no legal targets for River Abaquist, as the power will look for a creature with 'less than zero energy'.

In a game of Dragonshard, if I use Tendril to bring my opponent's Dark Cragnoc to 6 energy and then use Turn to gain control of it, does the Dark Cragnoc return to its starting energy or remain at 6?

Your opponent is correct; Turn does not restore the Cragnoc until you gain control of it, and by then, it would be your card trying to add energy to the Dark Cragnoc, so that part of Turn's effect will be unable to resolve.

Does the effect of Plague on Olum Mystic stack if I have more than one Olum Mystic out in play? Does each player have to select one non-Olum creature at the end of their turn for each Olum Mystic in play, or can they select the same non-Olum creature multiple times?

Yes, multiple Plagues are cumulative, and each player must choose a non-Olum Creature (if possible) at the end of their turn for each Olum Mystic. The same creature may be chosen for different Plagues.

A. Mohani & Sunburn: If I Imbue a creature with Sunburn and want to use the creature's Sunburn power, what happens?

Sunburn attaches itself to a creature as part of its resolution. Since the Imbuement uses the spell as a power, there is no card to attach it to; however, this does not prevent the effect from resolving—Sunburn will still apply to the creature.

B. Sandsifter: Can the Sandsifter discard Oracles to prevent being discarded when all its energy is removed?

For a brief moment, discarding an Oracle could prevent the Sandsifter from being discarded; however, once it has zero energy, the rules will attempt to discard it again. Since the Sandsifter is now being discarded by the rules and no longer triggered by an opposing card reducing it to zero energy, you cannot use another Oracle to save it.

C. Crystal Vision: Is there any restriction on stacking multiple copies of Crystal Vision?

No; you cannot play another copy if one is already in play, and there is currently no way to take control of opposing Spells, so stacking is not allowed.

D. Crystal Vision: Does it prevent using Risha's Insight power?

No; you can choose to 'reveal' a card that is already revealed if it is a valid choice for the ability.

E. Name Rule Clarification: Should the rule on page 32 include Powers and Effects, not just Spells and Powers? And does Liriel’s power allow her to retrieve Bagala Cubs and Bagala Hunters?

Yes; the rule should read 'Spells, Powers, and Effects' rather than only 'Spells and Powers.' As for Liriel, she may take any Creature with 'Bagala' in its name, including Bagala Cubs and Bagala Hunters, but not cards like Bagala Fangs that contain the word without being a creature.

Can I play a card that says "You may play this card only when your ___ Magi is defeated on an opponent's turn" right before or during their draw step? Right after I am defeated? Any time when I feel like declaring it in between?

When your Magi is defeated and placed in the defeated Magi pile is when you can play those Spirits; Spirit of Rayje is the only exception.

Does Rebirth save a creature being shockwaved as well as one being discarded by Inferno Xyx's Blast (where all energy is directly discarded)?

Yes; Rebirth restores the Creature to its starting energy, regardless of how it would be discarded during an opponent's turn.

Does Magam's Ring work differently from Emec's Forge in that the creature being rebirthed gets restored to starting energy even though it was not at starting energy when discarded?

Yes; Rebirth restores the Creature to its starting energy, regardless of how it would be discarded during an opponent's turn.

If my Rock Slith is at 4 energy and is defeated by a Rous with 6 energy, will discarding Magam's Ring restore the Rock Slith to full?

Yes; Rebirth restores the Creature to its starting energy, regardless of how it would be discarded during an opponent's turn.

Does the effect on Grizzled Moga stack if I have more than one in play? Does my opponent lose an energy for each Grizzled Moga whenever my creatures attack?

Yes; there is no specified limit, and so the effects are cumulative.

Can Ullig cast Stand and Take It twice on the Greater Garganor, then discard both spells one per attack, or will one attack trigger both spells at once, leaving the Greater Garganor vulnerable to a second attack?

All copies of Stand and Take it attached to the Creature are triggered and discarded from play.

If Oranragon has Stand and Take It attached, does Oranragon gain 2 energy from Vengeance when Stand and Take It is discarded by an opposing creature's attack?

No, because it is being discarded by its own effect, not the effect of an opposing card.

Cawh says: Other cards cannot prevent Cawh from losing energy. First I guess this is a text and is not part of the Fearsome effect, right? Secondmother can't prevent Cawh from lossong energy, so an Inferno Xyx and a Storm Cloud could easyly wipe out Cawh. But my question is that: If I can save Cawh from cards like Inferno Xyx and a Storm Cloud with the Barqua's Bubble and Shell since is not preventing it from losing energy, it's just that Cawh cannot be affected by Powers and Spells.

'Other cards cannot prevent Cawh from losing energy' is part of Fearsome. Additionally, nothing can stop Cawh from losing energy, even the effects of Barqua's Bubble's Power or Shell.

Can Brothers of Vengeance use Giant Parathing's Interchange Power since they count as two Magi?

Yes, they may Interchange normally.

Can Niffer Revive The Dark Twins using as Abwyn's Qill and a Ritual Spear, since The Dark Twin counts as two Magi? The same can be done with the Brothers of Vengeance.

Yes; generally, this is pointless, however, because most every dual-Magi is worthy of that only from their starting energy totals, which are lost because the Spear passes the energy of the Magi using it. However, it could very well be a remarkable strategy with Korg & Zet, that have great energizes, though having them first is asking for trouble. So, all in all, not very helpful, but still allowed, because it is still a single Magi in the game, just counts as two when making a deck.

Tunnel Spell: Can a burrow creature attack the Magi without having a Digging Goggles or any other thing that allows burrow creatures to attack?

Tunnel grants the ability for the Creature to attack without Goggles or similar cards, but to only choose the Magi as a defender in the attack.

Wasperine Stalker: I want to know if the part that says: 'When you play Wasperine Stalker and add energy to it if your Magi is Woot.' Is a text or part of the blur effect?

The energy add for Woot is rules text, not part of Blur.

I want to know if the part that says: 'When you play Wasperine Stalker and add energy to it if your Magi is Woot.' If it is text, then it could be activated again if it's revived with a Furok Guardian, right?

Yes, it would be reused if it is brought into play again.

Rabid Wasperine: If this creature can attack before energy is removed from the defending creature?

No; the initial attack must be fully resolved before Rabid Wasperine can attack.

Rabid Wasperine: Is the wasperine taking the place of the defender? Protecting it.

Neither; it is making a separate attack after the attack triggering it entering play has resolved.

Rabid Bisiwog: Can it choose 2 creatures to attack if a Sarazen Guard or a Mosp is in play? The defending creature lose twice the amount of energy?

Rabid Bisiwog says 'you MAY choose two Creatures.' If you decide to choose two, you must choose two that can be legally attacked. If the opponent controls Mosp, you may not choose a non-Mosp Kybar's Teeth Creature as a defender, though if your opponent had a non-Kybar's Teeth Creature in play, you could choose to attack both the non-Kybar's Teeth creature and the Mosp. Further, Rabid Bisiwog will only remove energy once from each creature it attacks, including Sarazen Guard, even if the Guard's Protect effect prevents the Bisiwog from attacking two other creatures.

Does Spellfire activate when Horror plays Spirit of Rayje or Spirit of Core when defeated?

For Spirit of Rayje, yes; for Spirit of Core, no, because she is no longer in play.

Can Frozen Magi play Spirit of Rayje?

Currently, no, as there's no way the Magi could pay the one additional cost.

Are creatures under Empress Gia's Tome considered in play for purposes of effects like Wence's Travelog, Weave Mat, or similar cards?

No; these cards are not truly 'in play' and cannot be affected as such.

Will Braggle and Barak's Ring be discarded by Purity if it is morphed?

If it is not Cald, yes; Morph changes the region of Braggle entirely, and it is no longer Cald (unless Cald was chosen for the Morph).

Does Sandcape allow you to trigger Nemsa's effect from the discard, even if playing the starting card reduced your hand?

Yes; even if playing the starting card is what lessened your hand, you may still then use Nemsa's Effect combined with Sand Cape's to put it into play.

The text on Spirit of Paradwyn says that the cost of your creatures played before the attack step is increased by 2 and cannot be reduced. Does this mean that you can't Dreamwarp your creatures in, or can you Dreamwarp them, but still pay the 2 extra energy?

You may still use Dreamwarp, because reducing the starting energy amount changes the base cost (without technically reducing it), but the cost of the Creatures cannot be reduced (Robe of Petals and the like).

Does Corathan count as an Orathan?

No; the taint of the Core has twisted it to the point where it has no such familial connections.

When you play Focus, can O'Qua or Tony Jones still use their Powers to bring Creatures or Relics into play?

No; any method of bringing a card into play is still considered playing it, and if something forbids you from playing cards, you cannot with outside means.

When playing an Illusion creature like Drahkar, which has a reduced cost of 6 energy (original cost 11) due to its nameless effect, does it enter play with 6 energy or its starting energy of 11?

When a Creature comes into play, with few exceptions, it enters play with its starting energy value, regardless of the cost paid. An Illusion that has a starting energy of nine and a cost reduced to five will still receive nine energy when it enters play. The main exception to this rule are Dreamwarpers; they do not Dreamwarp their cost, but starting energy as a whole, and that will alter the amount they enter play with.

Does a Rock Slith's Hide trigger when it is discarded from play by having all of its energy discarded by Dessicate or a Storm Cloud plus Scroll of Fire or Valkan's Pyromancy?

Yes; it has no energy to move, however, but you do still get to draw a card.

Does Sandstone Hyren's Monolith kick in each time a spell or power tries to target it or just the first time that turn?

As long as it remains the largest Creature in play, three additional energy must be paid by a Magi to choose it for Spells and Powers.

If a player has more than one Sandstone Hyren in play does the extra energy cost from Monolith count for each one or once one has been triggered the other one is null?

When a card refers to itself, it applies only to that specific copy. Additionally, there is nothing in Monolith's text that would limit the use of the effect as long as the conditions are met. Though in the case of multiple Sand Hyrens, they can't all be the largest Creature in play; if each one has the greatest energy total, but all have the same amounts, Monolith cannot be used.

How do you process the timing on effects that state whenever... Would you get to draw your card if somebody TQ your Frusk to death?

No; by the time the Thunderquake has resolved, there is no Frusk in play to draw a card with.

If you're Gherish, could you take 1e off an Ormagon when he devastated?

Normally, no; Abrade triggers after Devastate resolves. If Ormagon still has energy left after Devastate is used, then you may.

Does Spirit of the Teeth only affect KT Magi, or does it work on any subsequent Magi regardless of region?

It will affect your next Magi, regardless of region. For instance, if your first Magi was Traveling Healer and your next Magi was Magam, Flamesmith, if you played Spirit of the Teeth when Traveling Healer is defeated, Magam would still gain the benefits of it.

When a Giant Balder attacks, would Lanyx have lost a third energy before Momentum kicked in or after?

Momentum is not triggered until the defender is defeated, long after Rampage would discard energy. Lanyx is reduced to one energy by the attack.

How many cards do I get to retrieve from my discard pile if I have 3 Corathans in play and discard an opposing Creature with Crushing Darkness, thus gaining control of said opposing Creature?

None; Crushing Darkness does not take control of a Creature with its secondary effect, it allows you to play a completely new Creature. Additionally, only one Corathan Effect may be used per control change.

Can the Corathan's Effect retrieve the card just played, for example the Crushing Darkness that gained me control of an opposing Creature?

No, Corathan's Effect cannot retrieve the 'theft' card because it is discarded immediately after the card resolves, and the Corathan's Effect interrupts this process before the 'theft' card can be discarded. The most notable exception is Corrupt; it is discarded before its effect occurs, and so a Corathan may retrieve it.

Would a creature using Spark to remove 2 from Mowat trigger Mowat's Prickly effect?

Yes; the creature using Spark is removing energy from the Mowat, and so Prickly is triggered, discarding two energy from the Sparking Creature.

I'm playing with a Cawh and my opponent uses Rayje's Sword. If I cast Shell, Tranquility, Entangle, or Barqua's Bubble, does this count as energy loss prevention for the purpose of Cawh's effect or Rayje's Sword?

These effects are not energy loss reduction, but they are energy loss prevention. There are two different scopes of energy loss prevention: Energy loss reduction applies to changes in assigned energy removal after it is assigned (e.g., Burrow, Invulnerability). Energy loss prevention includes both reduction and effects that prevent energy from being discarded (e.g., Resistance, Shell). This is why Piercing does not bypass Resistance, but Fearsome allows energy loss to bypass Shell. Piercing only affects reduction, not full prevention; therefore, the listed effects (Shell, Tranquility, Entangle, Barqua's Bubble) are considered energy loss prevention but not reduction. As such, they are affected by Fearsome’s weakness, but not by Piercing.

If I have Crystal Vision in play and a Lens of Truth, and I use the Lens' power to discard a 4E card from my deck, are my 4E cards cost reduced to 1?

No; Future Sight refers to the base cost, before reduction from other cards. If Future Sight discards a four cost card, then only cards with a cost of three energy or less, before reductions, can be reduced by the Power.

If I have Crystal Vision in play and a Lens of Truth, and I use the Lens' power to discard a 4E card from my deck, are my 8E illusions cost reduced to 1?

No; their base cost is eight.

If I play an Oasis, can someone with Sword do damage?

Piercing does not work, because Oasis is a prevention effect, not reduction.

If I use Resonate to discard 2 energy off the opposing magi and to discard their Reality Anchor from play, may the opposing magi use Reality Anchor's effect which would prevent the energy discard?

Yes, they may; the energy loss will be prevented and the Resonate will not be able to discard a Relic.

Can I use Gwomba's Maximum Warp on opposing creatures with Boria, or only mine?

Only yours; Maximum Warp can be triggered only when you specifically are playing a Creature.

Can I use Sorrowing Ogar, Yaki, Core Stalker, and Niffer in the same deck, using Niffer as a Core Magus?

Yes; Yaki and Sorrowing Ogar's restrictions only apply to Magi printed as Core. Niffer can become Core after the fact of deck construction, and so could League Elder. As long as none of the Magi in the stack are literally Core, it's fine.

Does Snow Barl Pup's effect trigger when someone searches for a card, such as with Arawan or Barak the Red? Is this considered a card draw outside their draw step?

No; searching your deck for a card is not the same as drawing a card, and does not trigger related effects.

Jodo Kast asks again: 46. Crushing Stench says: "... If the chosen Creature is discarded from play, play a Bograth Creature from your hand with two energy instead of its starting energy. ..." Does that mean that you have to pay the two energy as it does not say 'ignoring all costs' like on similar cards (Crushing Darkness, for example)?

The Creature is played ignoring all costs.

After using Sand Strands on a Stagadan, could the Stagadan still attack the Magi directly, or did Sand Strands prevent that attack?

No, the Stagadan may not attack the Magi. The inability to choose the Magi as a defender is more specific than the Stagadan's effect, which grants the general ability to attack the defending Magi; since Sand Strands specifically restricts that one attack option, it overrides the general ability.

Is frozen a cumulative effect?

No; a card can only be frozen or not frozen, just as a card can be burrowed or not burrowed, stalked or not stalked, etc. No such status condition is cumulative.

A) Your opponent currently has a Rayje's Belt in play. Could you Lockdown the Rayje's Belt using Koza? If so, how long would Rayje's Belt be Lockdowned; till the beginning of your next turn or the beginning of your opponent's turn?

It would be just as if you had used Lockdown on your own Rayje's Belt; as long as that Belt is in play, the Power will be Locked until the end of your next turn.

B) Your opponent currently has a Hubra's Cube with a relic on top of it and another relic in play. Could you use Koza to take control of your opponent's Hubra's Cube using the Hubra's Cube's power of Relic Subversion? If so, do you gain control of the relic that was on top of the Hubra's Cube or do you only get the Hubra's Cube using Koza's power?

Neither. Relic Subversion cannot be used if there is a Relic on the Hubra's Cube; Koza does not copy Powers, he just uses Powers as if the Relics were his as well. However, if there wasn't a Relic on the Cube and Relic Subversion was used, you would gain control of the chosen Relic, and the opponent would no longer be able to use Relic Subversion (the one who uses the Power gains control of the Relic, but the Power cannot be used while there is a Relic on top of Hubra's Cube). It must be noted that Koza's Effect doesn't state he copies the Powers, merely that he can use them; this is what causes such potentially strange occurrences.

Can Fiend of Furoks use Reconstruct when Reality Anchor is in play, since she plays Furok from the discard as if it were from her hand?

Technically, since Fiend of Furoks considers the Furoks to be in her hand, she does not 'search the discard pile' so, yes, she may use Reconstruct, even with a Reality Anchor in play. The same would apply to Brushfire and other similar cards.

In a combat situation where a Flutter Yup is attacked by an Aerial Flist that gains energy via Charge during the attack, does Dodge prevent energy loss even though the Flist's energy was increased after the attack began? How does the timing of effect resolution work, and has the 'locked in' energy step been removed from the game rules?

Both effects—Charge and Dodge—trigger whenever the Flist attacks or the Flutter Yup is attacked, respectively. Since these triggers are simultaneous, they resolve in order of active player first, then other players in play order. Because it's your turn, Charge resolves first, increasing the Flist's energy to 4E before Dodge resolves. Dodge then prevents the Flutter Yup from losing any energy because the Flist has 4E at the time Dodge checks. There is no longer a separate 'locked in' step for energy totals during combat; instead, card effects evaluate current energy values at the moment they resolve. Cards that reference 'began the attack with' are not functionally different—they serve as reminders of what was true when the attack initiated, but mechanics now rely on real-time evaluation of current states.

Are cards that are placed under other cards, such as creatures under Gia's Tome or Imbued Spells, considered 'in play' even though they are on the table?

No; cards placed under other cards (like those under Gia's Tome or Imbued Spells) are not considered 'in play' and cannot be affected by effects that target or interact with cards in play. Only cards that are played directly onto the table or attach to another card are considered in play, even if they remain on the table.

If I have Great Throne of Mushrooms in play and someone plays Cataclysm, do I get to trigger its ability (whenever one of your creatures is discarded from play, you may discard one energy from your magi to draw a card), or does everything get discarded simultaneously without triggering the effect?

Everything is simultaneously discarded, but Great Throne of Mushrooms doesn't care; you can pay one energy for as many of your creatures as you want and draw a card for each.

Are Orpus and Furok Guardian being reclarified to 'as' effects, or are the previous rulings allowing them to save creatures from mass discards like Cataclysm now reversed due to standardization of 'when' triggers?

The timing words have never had concrete definitions until now, causing wording issues. Originally, no standardization existed, but over time, certain words became associated with specific timings. Without issuing a full list of clarifications, decisions will rely on common sense for now. Orpus is intended to save the Relic, so it would logically be an 'As' effect if templated today, as waiting until after discard could trigger unwanted enter-play/discard effects. Terra Rebirth waits until the creature is discarded and then returns a new one later, meaning it's not trying to save the original creature; thus, losing the Guardian during a mass discard like Cataclysm would prevent its rebirth. This isn't an absolute rule—tournament judges should use common sense and escalate questions afterward.

How permanent are the effects of spirits like Spirit of Orothe, and do they persist when Interchanging Magi or removing the Magi from play?

The effects of spirits such as Spirit of Orothe are permanent only as long as the card remains active; if you Interchange the Magi away or otherwise remove it from play (such as by defeating it and using Ritual Spear), then the rules for card memory will cause the changes made by the Spirits to be forgotten.

If my creature is defeated in an attack, can D'Jarvish return it to hand?

No; D'Jarvish cannot return creatures that were defeated in combat to hand because they are not 'specifically discarded from play' by an opposing card. Although they are discarded from play as a result of the attack, they are not specifically discarded by an opponent's effect, so D'Jarvish's ability does not trigger.

When are Spirit Spells played in relation to other 'When ___ is defeated' events, and how do they interact with rules about needing an active Magi to play spells?

Spirit Spells except Spirit of Rayje are played after the Magi is defeated and placed in the defeated Magi pile, which allows them to bypass the requirement of having an active Magi. Spirit of Rayje is unique because it is played while the Magi is still active and before defeat, meaning it would be subject to effects like freezing. The wording of most Spirits was intentionally designed to circumvent the 'must have an active Magi' rule to prevent problematic interactions, such as Adis with Spirit of Arderial creating a game-lock situation.

Why does Mowat's Prickly effect remove two energy from the creature using Spark, even though Mowat only has one energy?

Prickly removes the amount of energy that it designates from the sparker; in this case, it is designated to remove two energy.

If I use Resonate to discard 2 energy from the opposing magi and also discard their Reality Anchor from play, can the opposing magi use Reality Anchor's effect to prevent the energy discard?

Yes, they may; the energy loss will be prevented and the Resonate will not be able to discard a Relic. Reality Anchor's preventive effect uses 'as' wording, similar to Climbing Staff, to avoid attempting to reverse actions that have already occurred.

Does Cawh's ability 'Your cards cannot prevent Cawh from losing energy' mean that effects which would normally reduce or prevent energy loss (like Bubble or Shell) have no effect on Cawh, even if they are not specifically prevented by the card?

Cawh's ability prevents any card from preventing energy loss to Cawh. This means that prevention and reduction effects do not apply to Cawh at all, regardless of whether they would normally affect such losses. The key distinction is that 'do nothing' or 'does not affect' effects never attempt to discard energy in the first place, so there's no energy loss to prevent or reduce. However, Cawh specifically cannot be protected by any card effect that would prevent or reduce energy loss—this includes both prevention and reduction mechanics. The ability is designed to ensure that even if a card like Bubble or Shell attempts to prevent or reduce damage or energy loss, it fails when applied to Cawh. This is not an oversight but intentional playtesting design, as Cawh's resistance to protection is balanced by other constraints.

Does Flameplate Armor affect energy loss from opposing cards such as Abraxin's Crown?

Yes, Flameplate Armor does affect energy loss from opposing cards like Abraxin's Crown, as Good Offense encompasses energy discard from opposing cards, including effects from Abraxin's Crown. This clarification is based on the interpretation that 'Card' in Flameplate Armor's effect refers to any card, not just spells, powers, or attacks.

If Tony At Con is out of the game and not in the Magi Stack, can he use his power to take another turn repeatedly since he's no longer subject to Sleep Dep?

Yes, Tony is in the stack so he does gain "Sleep Dep". When you start the game, all three Magi are face down in the Magi Stack. As the game progresses, you flip the Magi face up, but they are still part of the Magi stack. Once every Magi in the stack is face up and defeated you lose the game. If Tony is your first Magi, he is face up while the other two Magi are face down in the Magi stack. If Tony is your last Magi, he is face up while the other two Magi are face up defeated in the Magi stack.

If I use Crushing Sands on a 5e creature that's sunburned, does the CS' secondary effect trigger?

Yes. Sunburn increases the amount of energy removed by Crushing Sands; even if this increase discards the last of the Creature's energy, the secondary effect will trigger, because the source of the total discard is still Crushing Sands.

If I use Deja Vu on a sunburned creature and play Crushing Sands, do I deal 4e or 6e to my second target?

Deja Vu will discard six energy from the second chosen Creature, as this was the amount of energy removed by the Crushing Sands.

When you imbue a spell (making it a creature power), does it remain a power on the creature when the creature is discarded? (I ask because of the D'resh Keeper's power.)

No, it does not. When a Creature leaves play, all cards attached to it are discarded. Cards in the discard pile do not remember what they had attached to themselves while they were in play.

Can Myka give Hok Spirit of Ombor, effectively giving him 2 different versions of the same effect?

Yes; redundancy of name or even mechanic does not impact the ability to use a Power or Effect in and of itself.

If I have more frozen creatures in play than my opponent when I discard Worgle to use its power, can I choose my opponent's creatures more than once?

You must choose the full number of different creatures. In your example, you would choose the two Olum Diggers and one Zyavu. Ballistic Balder included that fact as reminder text, but he would work the same way even if the reminder text was removed.

When I use the power on Shadow Cloak, does it protect my creatures from a Cataclysm?

Yes; unlike many other resistance-style effects, Shadow Cloak's Power protects you from your non-Core cards as well as from the opponent's.

What are Tryn Flame-Saver and Wence the Wanderer classified as if they follow the Dark Twins?

As stated on the Dark Twins text, if a Naroom Magi follows, they are changed into a Naroom Shadow Magi. When that happens, they lose all other region affiliations even if they are dual Magi. This is completely different than Nagsis' Possession, which would make them both dual-Shadow.

Can you ever return opposing cards to your hand or get your cards in an opposing player's discard pile?

No; whenever a card is moved to an out of play area, its final destination is the owner's specified out of play area, regardless of controller. The card may go to the controller's out of play area (such as when a stolen Twee is defeated), but this is very brief, and while the card will 'land' in the controller's out of play area triggering any related beneficial effects, it then immediately moves to the owner's.

Does Sunburn act like a Scroll of Fire or a status condition attached to a creature, and can it bypass Burrow's damage reduction?

Sunburn creates additional energy loss from an acting source of energy removal, similar to a Scroll of Fire's effect. Because the source of the energy loss is increased, any effect that caps that source (such as Burrow) will also reduce the Sunburn addition.

Can you use Yaki Core-Stalker, Sorrowing Ogar, and League Elder (or Niffer) in any order in your Magi stack?

Yes, you may play with any combination of those Magi; the restrictions on Yaki Core-Stalker and Sorrowing Ogar are deck construction restrictions. This means that they only forbid you from building a deck with printed Core Magi, not Magi that have the ability to become Core (because this is technically true of all non-Core Magi with Hrada in existence). Even if Sorrowing Ogar or Yaki Core-Stalker follows a League Elder or Niffer that chose Core, they don't care; at the time they 'joined forces', everyone got along with everyone else, and now it's too late to get upset once they've picked a fight with another group of Magi.

If Hrada were to 'Taint' Sorrowing Ogar (or Yaki Core Stalker), would the player be forced to forfeit if Yaki Core-Stalker (or Sorrowing Ogar) came next in the Magi stack?

No; see previous answer.

Please clarify what is reduction and prevention. Reduction to 0 means prevention? So can someone in the rules team clarify which cards can be pierced by Rayje's Sword? (Effect - Piercing: Spells, Powers and Effects do not reduce energy loss.) Where does unaffected fit into this duet?

Rayje's Sword only "Pierces" Reduction. Prevention: Stopping the event resolution before energy removal is applied. Examples include both Barqua's Bubble and Climbing Staff. Reduction: When energy removal is applied has been applied, but this amount is reduced by other card effects before the energy is actually discarded. Examples include both Invulnerability and Burrow. Unaffected: A form of prevention, as the energy removal cannot be applied either. Lovian's Resistance is an example of this form of prevention.

Does Drajan's Fair effect prevent abilities that trigger when a creature attacks, such as Venger's or Gumph's effects?

Yes, no Effects at all once an attacking and defending Creature has been chosen. You may not use any Effects during any attack while Drajan is using Fair.

Is the Monarch Hyren's ability in the Limited version, which adds one energy to each of your hyren in play, considered a MRP and does it allow the hyren to add energy to itself, or was this a printing error compared to the Dream's End version?

The change was intentional; the Monarch Hyren has been officially MRPed to the Limited text.

I had a Seaweed Lascinth on the field and played Hunt (all your Weave creatures can attack twice this turn) followed by Weave Seed (add 7e to a Weave creature, and it can attack an additional time). With Seaweed Lascinth at 11e, did it attack three times or only two times?

No matter the order cast, the Creature gets to attack twice as well as the ability to attack an additional time; the net result will be three either way.

If League Elder flips against Sorreah, what region is he considered to be: universal, unknown, or something else?

The League Elder would be a Universal Magi. Since Sorreah doesn't allow him to change region, he can't. Same goes for Niffer. If Niffer faces Sorreah, Niffer will be stuck as just an Arderial Magi. The reason is that the Effects are triggered when the Magi are revealed, so even if you could use the Effects later, they have no opportunity to trigger.

Does Bombard require an additional energy payment for each creature chosen due to Laranel's Cold Shoulder effect?

Yes, Bombard does state to choose the creatures; it just has a seemingly unwieldy way of stating it. Laranel's Effect would require an additional energy be paid for each creature that would be chosen.

If Nara's Resistance effect makes a Magma Jile unaffected by non-Cald spells, can Sneak Attack still allow the opposing creature to remove energy equal to its starting energy?

Correct, the Sneak Attack may not change the amount of energy the Jile removes. You may still choose to have the Weebo remove ten energy, of course.

If a frozen Yaw with 1 energy activates its Ice Pack power, can I pay the final 1 energy to return it to my hand while at 0 energy, thereby restoring another frozen creature's starting energy, or does it die immediately upon reaching 0 energy?

All costs are paid simultaneously; the energy is spent and the Yaw returned to hand before the game rules could ever register that it has zero energy. Therefore, it is not discarded, and the Power works normally.

Do cards like Crystalize and Haunt leave play if the casting magi is defeated?

Crystalize and Haunt, like Corrupt, are discarded from play when the Magi controlling them is defeated. There was no errata to Corrupt. The only exceptions to this are where it is specified otherwise on the card, such as an orphaned Creature like Trygar's Avenger and the Shadow Geysers if you have more than one in play.

Can Dark Furok's Revile trigger to deal 2e damage to Spark Chogo when Flame Spurt and Blast Gloves are used during the attack?

Yes, Dark Furok's Revile can trigger. Since Revile says "whenever," any time during an attack that the Dark Furok loses energy, it may Revile, not just when energy is removed normally. The discard from Revile will happen then, possibly defeating an opposing Creature before they can remove energy.

Can Blast Gloves' Effect Flame Boost be used to increase the removal by the Spell Flame Spurt?

No, you may not use Blast Gloves' Effect Flame Boost to increase the removal by the Spell Flame Spurt. Flame Boost specifies that it may only be used when a Spell is played that discards energy. Flame Spurt doesn't discard energy when it is played; it just attaches itself at that time.

If I use No! to prevent a creature from being discarded by Undertow, do I still have to shuffle the creature into my deck?

No, if Undertow is prevented from discarding the creature, then it does not get to shuffle the creature into its owner's deck. The entire effect of Undertow — including both the discard and the subsequent shuffle — only occurs if the creature is actually discarded.

Do cards that check for Creature defeat (like Bungaloo, Kolte, Gia's Tome, Weaving) trigger when a Creature is discarded from play during an attack, but not through the opposing Creature removing energy from it?

Yes, these cards trigger when a Creature is defeated. A Creature is considered defeated when it has no energy counters remaining, regardless of how it was reduced to this state.

If my Magi is Harresh and I play Bottled City, can I trigger Dreamdraft if I only have Nemsas in my hand? Do I need to have one in play to trigger Dreamdraft, or is the different wording intentional due to new templating or intent?

You may use the effect from your hand because the effect states you can. This is no different from Wasperine or Climbing Staff.

If I have Ahron as my Magi and play a Nemsa (through Dreamdraft or otherwise), can I Dreamdraft another Nemsa, followed by another Nemsa?

Yes. Since Ahron has Nemsa as a starting card, you may play Sun Glasses followed by a Dream Drafted Nemsa because of the Sun Glasses, followed by a Dream Drafted Nemsa because of the first Nemsa, followed by a Dream Drafted Nemsa because of the second Nemsa. Although the Nemsa only allows you to Dream Draft one per starting card, this only means you cannot play a wave of them from one card; creating a domino effect as described is perfectly legal.

When using Powers, Spells, and Effects that search a player's deck and take a card from the deck, is that considered drawing a card? For example, the Bottle City card.

No, that does not count as drawing a card. The only time you are drawing a card is when an effect's instructions specifically use the word "draw" to place cards into your hand.

If a card like Tomes of the Great Library or Forgotten Dreams pulls a card from a player's discard pile, is that considered drawing a card?

No, that does not count as drawing a card. The only time you are drawing a card is when an effect's instructions specifically use the word "draw" to place cards into your hand.

When an Abaquist takes over a Yaromant, does the Yaromant gain one energy before or after the Abaquist gains control?

The Abaquist chooses the Yaromant, discards itself, the Yaromant gains one energy, and then you gain control of the Yaromant. The Abaquist's effect checks the condition (choosing a creature with less energy) before it is resolved, so any energy gained after the choice does not affect the outcome.

When playing Green Stuff during my turn, does Ogar’s Feral Instinct trigger before or after Green Stuff gives one energy?

As the active player, you resolve your effects first. If Green Stuff is played during your turn, it gains one energy immediately, and then Ogar gets to use her Feral Instinct.

Can you provide a clear list of the steps for triggering and playing effects in the game?

The active player resolves their Effects first, continuing until no further triggered Effects remain. Subsequent Effects are resolved based on their timing: those that trigger 'Before' (AS) resolve before the original Effect, while those that trigger 'After' (WHEN) resolve afterward.

For Healing Light, do I need to have less energy and fewer creatures than every other player, or can I choose which player to be behind?

Healing Light requires only that your Magi has less energy than at least one other player AND you have fewer Creatures than at least one other player. You do not need to be behind all players; as long as you are not tied for the most energy and the most Creatures, you can draw two cards and gain three energy.

If I have Olabra as my magi with creatures at 1e and my opponent uses Jungle Jile's Mass Stalk power to stalk my creatures, does a 1e creature lose its last energy when attacked, despite Olabra's ability preventing removal of energy by opponents' spells and powers?

The Mechanic of Stalking is not a Power, even though in this case it was caused by one, so your Creatures will lose the one energy in the attack before energy is removed.

What happens if Golthub haunts an opposing creature and then Mires?

When you defeat Golthub, you must discard all cards that you control from play, which includes the Haunt, so nothing happens.

What happens if Harror casts cataclysm after Haunting someone?

Since Haunt says it triggers when a Creature is discarded, it must still be in play after the Creature is discarded. Since Cataclysm discards all non-Magi cards in play, it discards the Haunt before it gets a chance to trigger. While attached cards are normally discarded with what they are attached to, they are not discarded until it's absolutely certain the card will be lost (i.e., it reaches the discard pile), then the attached card leaves play after it.

Can Ninx use 2 Blooms in a row?

No. Since Bloom states "immediately after," you may not cast the second Bloom on the same trigger.

Suppose that Ninx is against Barak. Barak plays any relic and Ninx Stare him down leaving him in 1 energy. Then Barak moves six energy from Giant Arboll and the Arboll is discarded, leaving him with no creatures. Barak then plays a Brushfire on one of Ninx's creatures and Ninx uses another Bloom to stare him down again and defeat Barak. Can she do it?

As long as each Bloom is used after the opponent plays a different Spell or Relic or uses a different Power, then you may Bloom again.

Rabid Wasperine against Mosp: As we all know, the Rabid Wasperine can be played on an opponent's turn and if the Kybar Magi has a Mosp in play with a Yark that attacks a Fird, defeating it, and then the Narrom Magi plays a Rabid Wasperine to attack the Yark. Can he attack it or not? Since none of the Kybar creatures can be attacked while Mosp is in play.

No; the Rabid Wasperine would enter play and be unable to attack anything but a Mosp; it may only attack if it can choose the Yark as a defender. However, the Mosp forbids it from doing so, leaving the Wasperine with no options.

If you use Scyalla and Swirling Orshaa, can the Orshaa count itself as the creature type referenced by Scyalla (e.g., Xyx or Furok) and thus switch itself between Weave and d'Resh?

If Scyalla names a type with Pet Project, the Swirling Orshaa may change to the referenced type until the end of the turn if it is already in play. Once Pet Project has been used, it creates a game condition that no longer has a source once the power resolves. Therefore, when she plays creatures of the chosen type, the Orshaa may not change again.

What does 'discarded from play' mean for creatures, and how is it different from other ways a creature might leave play?

Discarded from play means whenever a card that is in play is moved from play to the discard pile, regardless of the method used to remove it. It refers specifically to when a creature is defeated by an effect that causes it to be sent to the discard pile, such as being destroyed or removed by a spell like Shockwave. This term does not include situations where energy is reduced to zero (like through Thunderquake) unless the card explicitly states it's discarded from play. Cards like Oranragan and Evil Evu are worded clearly to specify this intent; in general, if a card says 'discarded from play,' it means the creature was defeated by an effect that sends it directly to the discard pile.

If Ninibomb is revealed as a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Magi, does his Energize increase to 7 before his first Energize step, or after?

His Energize is seven once he is revealed as a Magi in any of those three positions (before he energizes).

Can I place Ninibom as a 4th Magi in a stack, either to hide information or as a 3rd Magi with The Dark Twins, Korg & Zet or the Brothers of Vengeance, even if it's not in the required order of Baa, Wiep, and Grahnna?

While you may place a fourth "sleeved proxy card" (or third for dual magi), you may *not* place an actual magi card there, Ninibom or not. Just use a reverse-sleeved non-Magi Universal card. That way there is no accusation of switching around magi (at least, no more than NOT using the proxy could cause). Also, the proxy should be removed when and if you would be forced to reveal it, such as the case of interchange.

My opponent has a Cawh in play. A Feet of Stone (FoS) gets attached to it. He can now play other Creatures, right? FoS 'deactivates' Powers and Effects on the chosen Creature, so the text on the first unnamed Effect is ignored. Isn't that a bit overpowerful? Or does FoS not affect unnamed Powers/Effects like Rayje's Belt?

Yes, the Cawh's Effects will be 'shut down', nameless or not. However, because the opponent will have a turn with all of these effects shut off, they will be free to discard, undream, steal, or even just overwhelm the Cawh, so the strategy is not without its risks.

When do you calculate Thast's energize rate? If he starts the round with 1 Yaromant in play and energizes for 4, then summons 3 more frozen Nar creatures during his summon phase, does his Power (Ice Grinder) discard energy equal to his starting energize of 4 or his current energize of 7 when used in his second PRS phase? What if he decides to flood with energy?

Thast and similar Magi (whose energize is dependent on a variable) constantly update their totals based on the modifiers in play, i.e., whenever whatever is needed to modify their energize increases or decreases (in this case, frozen Nar creatures), then the energize rate is modified at that exact moment respectively. Whenever energize is referred to, with the rare exception of 'printed energize', you always use the current value.

Can Sorreah retrieve two Crushing Winds and a Sorreah's Dream as starting cards, and can the Dark Twins obtain two Entomb cards under similar circumstances?

The ruling was correct under specific conditions: if there were two Crushing Winds in the discard pile when Sorreah was flipped, or if no other Arderial Spells existed aside from a Sorreah's Dream, then Sorreah may retrieve both copies. Sorreah does not allow direct searching of the deck for Arderial Spells; instead, you must first attempt to retrieve them from the discard pile, and only if insufficient cards remain in the discard pile may you search the deck. While it is theoretically possible for Sorreah to obtain three Sorreah's Dreams, this scenario is highly unlikely unless Sorreah is the first Magi chosen. In contrast, the Dark Twins are very likely to retrieve two Entomb cards as starting cards if they choose to do so, especially since they typically select their starting cards first.

In a situation where a KT Magi with 8 energy and a Climbing Staff in play faces Laranel with three creatures in play, if the KT player uses Rockslide Hyren's power, how much additional energy must they pay to target three creatures?

It would cost one additional energy to choose each creature, totaling three additional energy in all. The additional cost is added to each instance of choosing one creature, not based on the literal phrase "choose one creature," as that would require "choose ONLY one creature."

If the KT Magi discards the Climbing Staff, would they still have to pay any additional energy for using Rockslide Hyren's power, or could the Nar Magi's effect only be applied upon flipping?

He could not discard the Climbing Staff; Laranel's effect affects the cost of the power (in this situation; generally speaking, it affects the cost of whatever needs to choose), and not the Magi.

When using a creature like Ormagon or playing Boil, can Abwynn's Quill be used on either, given current timing rulings?

Overwrite is an 'As' effect, and works in either situation.

If the wording were changed to allow Abwynn's Quill to affect creatures like Ormagon or Boil, would that make it an 'as' effect enabling the quill to affect Cataclysm when played, since opposing cards don't affect it until after resolution?

Incorrect; Cataclysm is not affected by opposing cards at any point during its resolution. Period.

Does the discard pile have to stay in the same order as the cards are placed into it, considering not everyone is going to use cards like Twee?

The order of the discard pile cannot be changed as a player wishes; only if a card is removed from it or if you are specifically instructed to change the order can the order change. As a side note, whenever multiple cards are discarded simultaneously, their owner chooses the final order in which the cards will arrive (so in the case of a Twee, they may choose to put their best Creature just beneath it for returning).

Does Urhail's ability 'Starting: Any Underearth Magi' include Underearth Shadow Magi?

No; a Shadow Magi is a Core Magi and has no connection to their original region; see page 26 of the VotS rulebook under 'Core and Shadow Magi'.

Is Yaki, Core Stalker considered to be a shadow magi because he can play Core cards?

No; he is not a Shadow Magi, nor is Sorrowing Ogar. Being able to play cards of a region does not give any other mechanical associations with that region.

Does Rock Silth's Hide effect trigger when an opposing Spell or Power discards it from play, even if there is no energy on it?

Yes, it would; there would be zero energy to move, but its controller would still get to draw a card.

When Nagsis is followed by Rayje and Rayje, is the second Rayje a Shadow Magi or not?

No; Possession only affects the next Magi by order, not the next Magi by name. The second Rayje will not be Possessed.

Can a player use the Power of a previously played Shadow Cloak after discarding it, and then play a second Shadow Cloak in the same turn to extend its effect?

No, the Power of Shadow Cloak does not persist after it is discarded. The Protection (2) effect ends when the card leaves play. Additionally, once a player has used Shadow Cloak's Power, they cannot use Protection on another Shadow Cloak during their next turn due to the Lockdown-style restriction. If the ongoing effect is removed (e.g., by Beam of Light), then the player can play and use another Shadow Cloak in their next turn.

When Valken plays The Last Words and then uses Coal Ergar's Enflame power, do both the Bwill and Iximin lose 3 energy from Enflame being enhanced by The Last Words, and then another 3 energy from discarding one energy from each Orothe Creature enhanced by The Last Words?

Yes; because the secondary energy discard is not 'additional' energy removal, it will trigger effects that increase its energy removal. The Orothe Creatures are thoroughly incinerated.

Can Abwyn's Quill alter multiple instances of the same Riegon on a single card as long as they all get changed to the same Riegon? For example, if Thrybe says 'when you play a Dresh creature, discard Thrybe to attach a Dresh spell to the creature you're playing,' could I change both instances of 'Dresh' to 'Ardereal'?

Overwrite replaces all instances of that single region already; however, you may not use Overwrite multiple times if there are different regions named. Overwrite cannot be used on Effects, though, and so this example does not work.

If I use Volcano Hyren's power "Conflagration" while having a Scroll of Fire out, will the energy discarded by the Volcano Hyren from the target creature and opponent's other creatures be enhanced by the Scroll of Fire?

With Scroll of Fire, yes; with Last Words, no. The extra energy loss from each opposing creature is from the spell, not the power, and so Last Words will not boost the energy discard from one from each other opposing creature (but Scroll of Fire, on the other hand, will).

How was Spirit of Rayje changed with errata?

You may only play Spirit of Rayje three times per game.

Is the Magi considered to be a 'card in play'? Or does the Magi have a different status.

Yes; the Magi is in play. The only exception to this is that, while a Magi is 'in play', it does not 'have' itself in play.

If I play Haunt and another card in the same turn while playing with Korg & Zet (who can only play two cards per turn), and then discard an opposing creature, can I play that discarded creature as my own using Haunt's effect?

When the Haunt resolves, the creature would be unable to be played because Korg & Zet can only play two cards per turn, and playing the discarded creature would exceed that limit.

With Tempest Hyren's ability allowing you to play a spell at a lower cost when you attack, in what order do these actions occur? Do I subtract energy from the attack first and then play the spell, or can I pay for the spell before the attack damage is resolved?

When effects trigger 'when' an action occurs, they resolve after that action has fully resolved. In this case, Tempest Hyren's ability triggers when you attack, so playing the spell happens after the attack resolution—after energy is removed and all attack damage has been dealt—but before you can begin another attack. This timing prevents potentially confusing or problematic interactions that could arise from playing spells during the middle of an attack.

If the Nar spell Exposure is played by a Nar Magi in a two-player game, can it be blocked by a Climbing Staff since it is not targeting the Nar Magi?

Yes; if Exposure would affect only one Magi, then Climbing Staff may be discarded to negate it.

If neither Magi is Nar and it affects both Magi, it could not be staffed. Correct?

Again, correct; if both Magi are affected, then neither can use the Climbing Staff.

If I have a creature in play, can I take control of Cawh using Corrupt or Turn? Or does the spell fizzle?

Playing a Creature and taking control of a Creature are separate things; however, this scenario is not currently possible. What's more likely to happen would be playing a Sareb while the opponent only has a Cawh; in this case, nothing prevents you from giving them control of the Sareb, because they do not have to play it to gain control of it.

Does changing Spark Chogo's effect from discarding energy to adding energy alter the functionality of Fade Away, and will Fade Away still damage Dagok?

The Dagok is not reducing the energy removal of Fade Away; it is instead changing its function. The amount will be added to the Dagok, not removed.

Can Spirit of Rayje be played on my turn to simply add three energy to my magi, or is it only playable when an opposing card discards all energy from my magi?

Spirit of Rayje may only be played when an opposing card discards all of the energy from your magi; this condition is the sole means by which the card can be played, and it cannot be used on your turn to simply add three energy.

Does Alaban's Undream power allow a creature to return to hand despite Cawh's anti-return ability, since the return effect is separate from discarding energy?

The 'discard the chosen creature's energy' part of Alaban's Undream power is extraneous reminder text and should be ignored; the rules for card memory automatically remove energy counters. Cawh negates the return-to-hand effect just as it would any other such ability.

Can Frost Raxis choose a non-discardable relic as the target of its power if the player has other, discardable relics in play?

Yes, a normally non-discardable Relic may be chosen, even if there are other valid targets.

Can Frost Raxis choose a non-discardable relic in play if it is the only relic in play? Does it get discarded?

The Relic may be chosen, but it's not discarded.

If a non-discardable relic can be chosen by Frost Raxis, does this bypass its "cannot be discarded" ability since the discard is indirect (chosen by the opponent rather than directly caused by Frost Raxis)?

Though the opponent is allowed to choose what is discarded, Thermal Stress is still the source of the discard effect; this means that if the Relic the opponent chooses cannot be discarded by opposing cards, it ignores Thermal Stress's discard effect. Additionally, because Thermal Stress needs to reference a Relic that was actually discarded from play by the Power, not just a Relic that was attempted to be discarded by it, even if the opponent tries (and fails) to discard one of these 'legendary' Relics, the Raxis will not gain the energy from using Thermal Stress if the Relic's not the one you chose.

You have a Giant Carillion and a K'Teeb Cub with 4e on it in play. Your opponent uses Nar and Frozen to freeze all creatures. You use K'Teeb Cub's power, which normally allows Giant Carillion to use its power for free. Since all creatures are frozen, does Giant Carillion still have to spend 1e to use its power?

Yes, the Giant Carillion would still cost 1 energy to use its power. Although the K'Teeb Cub reduces the cost of Stomp to zero, the frozen status imposes a separate 1-energy penalty that is not affected by cost reductions. The frozen effect changes the base cost calculation such that even if the original cost (X) is reduced to zero, the +1 energy penalty from being frozen still applies.

Can I still play the discarded creature as a Core Creature with half of its starting energy (rounded up) after using Crushing Darkness if I am not a Core Magi, even if I don't have Obgren, Niffer, or Abwyn's Quill in play?

No; the secondary effect of Crushing Darkness will be unable to play the Core Creature.

If Nagsis possessed M'Rika and she used her Interchange ability (or via Agram's staff and a Giant Parathin), would she still be an Orothe Shadow Magi when returned to play, or would she become a pure Orothe Magi again?

M'Rika would 'forget' that she is a Shadow Magi and when she enters play again, she will be purely Orothe (and in a lot of trouble if she has no cards to play). Similarly, if a Spirit Spell makes a 'permanent' change to a Magi and it Interchanges from play, when it returns it will no longer have the benefits of the Spirit.

If Nagsis goes before Niffer and Niffer chooses Orothe as her secondary region, can Niffer play Core, Shadow Aderial, and Orothe cards? Why or why not?

True, Niffer could play Core, Shadow Aderial, and Orothe cards. As both Nagsis's Possession and Allies are effects triggered by the revealing of Niffer, you would choose the order to apply them. If you applied Allies first, she would end up being an Arderial Shadow Magi as well as a Shadow Magi of the region named. If you applied Possession first, then Niffer would be Arderial and the region named. The final result of these changes is permanent as long as Niffer remains in play. Regardless of what type of Magi she ends up being, as long as Allies is active, she will only be able to play cards from Arderial, Universal, and the region named.

When my creature, such as a Quor, is attacked by a Parmalag and a pack hunting Korrit, can I Flame Spurt the Parmalag for 2 energy if it is using its shield power? Or is the Parmalag immune to any damage because of shield? What about the Korrit? Can I flame spurt the pack hunting Korrit or does it have to actually attack directly on its own?

Either creature could be chosen to lose energy from the Flame Spurt, but in either case, the effects of their abilities (Pack Hunt and Shield) would prevent them from losing energy in the attack.

If I flame spurt the Parmalag and it is not shielded and it kills the Parmalag, does the Korrit that was pack hunting with it still remove energy? Does it still not take any attack damage in return?

The Korrit would still resolve its attack, and lose no energy in it either.

What if there was a third Striped Korrit at 1 energy? Could it pack defend with both of its fungoid brethren and remove an additional 1 energy from the Rabid Bisiwog for each Striped Korrit under attack?

Yes; the end result would be two additional energy removed from the Bisiwog.

If the Striped Korrits were controlled by Strag, would both of the Striped Korrits being attacked get the one energy from Defense? What about the third Pack Defending Striped Korrit?

All defending Striped Korrits would receive the Defense bonus; while the Rabid Bisiwog is only performing one attack with multiple defenders (and would therefore not trigger multiple instances of 'when xxxx attacks' effects), each of the individual defenders are performing separate defenses, and each one triggers Defense.

If Vorga has two Flame Spurts attached to her, can she set off both of them on a Rabid Bisiwog if both her Coal Ergar and her Spark Chogo are being attacked?

No; to the Bisiwog, it is only one attack. Only one Flame Spurt may be used.

When Warrada flips and I have no creatures in play, do I get the extra 5 energy for no creatures before or after gaining my opponent's creature from her effect?

Both effects trigger at the beginning of the turn Warrada is revealed; if Dark Blooming resolves first, you will definitely gain the energy.

Can Shadow Magi use Yaki Shadow Stalker? The card says "Yaki cannot be in a stack with Core Magi." I thought this would include Shadow Magi but he pointed out that Core Magi and Shadow Magi are actually two different types of Magi.

A Core Magi as printed is any Magi with the words 'Core' or 'Shadow Magi' in their title boxes. If a Magi cannot be in a stack with a Core Magi, then neither Magi of this type can be placed with them.

If I have two Torpars in play and an opponent plays Wildfire targeting me with three creatures, do both Torpars cause six energy loss each, or does one take the loss based on which effect resolves first?

You would choose the order in which the Torpars activate and take the energy loss from all of your creatures onto themselves; the first one you choose to resolve will redirect all of the energy loss to all of your creatures from the Wildfire to it, then the second Torpar's effect will resolve and direct all of the loss to itself instead.

Does Ebony Mirror prevent Warrada's Ring from allowing Zajan to draw an additional card at the end of his turn?

The Mirror cannot restrict the ability to draw a card from Warrada's Ring; the card is drawn at the end of turn, not during the Draw step, and the Mirror only affects cards drawn during the Draw step. The Mirror will also allow Zajan to draw one card during the Draw step, in addition to his two during the Energize step.

Can a Karak or Tidal Karak take control of a legendary relic such as Tomes of the Great Library, Kybar's Fang, and Key to the Vault of Knowledge? If so, would that count for effects that discard the relic if the Magi is not of the appropriate region?

Karak changes controller of relics; Tidal Karak does not. The Tidal Karak plays the relic from the discard pile, meaning you always control it. However, each of these relics requires your Magi to be of an appropriate region, so if your Magi is not of that region, the relic is immediately discarded.

If I am using Lasada and he gets defeated, and I play a Spirit of Arderial, can I reshuffle then draw 3, or am I forced to draw 3 before reshuffling?

All defeat effects are processed before Spirit cards are played; Lasada would draw three and Adis would discard three before the Spirit was used.

If Niffer still has 2 energy while Risha is using Prophecy, can she overwrite a Spirit of Naroom to change Eternal Vigor to "Whenever one of your Arderial Creatures..."? Likewise with Spirit of Paradwyn or Spirit of the Core?

No; Spirit Spells are played once the Magi leaves play, and so there will be no Niffer to overwrite it. Though you may not normally play cards without an active Magi, the Spirit Spells are an exception, as long as you can still pay the costs for them.

If I have Niffer and an Abwyn's Quill in play, can I use each Overwrite once per turn, or am I limited to one usage period?

Because neither Overwrite uses the phrase 'you may only use Overwrite once per turn', then it is only referring to the use of that Effect on that Relic; Niffer is still free to use hers. Additionally, if you removed your Quill from play the same turn after using Overwrite and played it again, the 'new' Quill would also be able to use its Overwrite.

Does Flameplate Armor cancel the original damage source and introduce its own, or does it merely redirect the damage, in which case the damage would not be originating from 'an opposing card'?

Flameplate Armor does not change the source of the removal with the Effect 'Good Offense'; this means that the opponent will not be able to use their own effects that occur 'when an opposing card' removes energy from them (though all effects triggered by them removing energy in the situation still apply).

How and why was Cawh changed with errata?

If Cawh is discarded or returned to your hand by an opposing card while it has energy, discard six energy from Cawh instead. Opposing cards cannot make Cawh change controllers. Reasoning: Your cards should be able to give control of Cawh to the opponent, as this is usually part of the penalty for playing with such cards.

How and why was Sikra changed with errata?

Sikra d'Resh, Creature - Illusion, now has the effect: (Nameless) instead of Illusionary. Reasoning: Sikra now follows the template of all other Illusions.

How and why was Togath changed with errata?

Togoth's effect was errataed so that the first time he energizes after being revealed, you may play one Shadow Geyser from your hand ignoring all costs and requirements. If Togoth is the first Magi in your stack, you may not choose to play first. The change ensures Togoth cannot play multiple Shadow Geysers if he energizes multiple times on his first turn, and prevents the opponent from negating his ability by choosing to let him play first without energizing.

Does Koil count as being a 'creature in play' if it is the first creature played when there are no other creatures on table? Specifically, can Nightmare be triggered when playing Koil or only after it's already on the table and has a valid target?

Yes, Koil is eligible for Nightmare; if he's the only Creature in play, he loses one energy.

Can Grahnna use Share to add 1 energy to the first Bograth Creature he plays, even when there are no other Bograth Creatures in play?

Yes; once the Bograth Creature enters play, you choose who will receive the Share bonus. It may be the Creature you just played.

Do two Choguses in play cancel out each other's Effect?

No; they both have the same effect on the text of the cards they apply to, and so the end result when their effects are applied will be the same.

Ullig's Darge attacks Traveling Healer who has a Flameplate Armor. Ullig discards the Flameplate Armor to prevent damage from the Darge and also removes 7 energy from Ullig instead. Ullig then uses a Climbing Staff to protect herself. Can she use it? Is the Flameplate Armor the source of the energy removal, or is it the Darge whose energy removal was deflected? If the Darge is the source, then the Climbing Staff shouldn't work because the energy removal came from an attack, not a spell, power, or effect.

No; Good Offense does not change the source of the energy removal, and so Climbing Staff cannot be used because the removal is not being caused by an opposing card.

Cast Shattershards, choose Barquas Bubble, does the player get to use the Effect Cover to protect his creature or is the bubble discarded before that happens?

No; Shattershards does not affect the Creature until after the Bubble is discarded from play.

If an opponent collects 15 doom counters on Sphere and does not use it on the same turn, can Koza, who is the opposing player, activate the Sphere's power and discard the opposing player's creatures?

Yes, he may.

Does the KT Spell 'Ascend' affect creatures that weren't in play when it was cast?

Yes; Ascend is not concerned with what was in play when it is cast, only what is in play during its duration.

If a power on a card has no cost (such as Tiller's Scrounge or Exchange, or Crystal Arboll if that card type is frozen), does it then cost 1?

Yes; frozen cards have Power cost equal to base cost +1, even if that base cost is zero.

If my opponent uses a Crushing spell on my 4e creature, and I choose to have Sagawal sacrifice itself instead of my other creature being discarded, does that cancel out the effect of the Crushing spell?

The Sagawal may be discarded when one of your creatures is reduced to zero energy by a spell, 'instead' of the creature; however, the creature will still be at zero energy and discarded anyway. But the source of this discard will then be the game rules, not the card effect that reduced the creature to zero energy. So while it would generally be a waste to discard Sagawal when another creature is reduced to zero energy and discarded, it will 'erase' the effects of the Crushing spell (or any card with a similar 'if this effect discards the chosen creature from play') and prevent your opponent from gaining the secondary benefit.

If I have Avatar's Staff and illusions in play, am I undefeatable while having illusions in play?

Yes, if you control an Illusion and have Subjective Reality in effect, your Magi are immune to effects that would automatically defeat them, such as Trug's Cataclysm or Awakening.

If a Korrit Pack Hunts with a Rabid Bisiwog, do both of the defending creatures also receive Pack Hunt damage, or does only one defending creature receive the Pack Hunt damage?

Yes; because the Rabid Bisiwog regards the attack as only one attack, then Pack Hunt will increase the energy removed from all defenders.

If one of Shivara's Creatures is reduced to zero energy by a Remove Energy Spell (like Fireball), does that Creature return to the owner's hand?

Yes, it would, because it was discarded from play by an opposing Spell.

Will Emaal's "Sabotage" effect trigger the Flameplate Armor's "Good Offense" ability, allowing the armor to redirect the energy discard even though Emaal has already been defeated?

The end result will be the source effect (Sabotage) trying to discard energy from a target that has become invalidated, and so no energy is removed; because Good Offense doesn't explicitly "choose" the defending Magi to have the source card remove energy from, it can redirect the removal, even if there is no Magi to take the loss.

Should Sikra's Illusionary effect be treated as a named illusion similar to other illusions (like those with the word "Illusion" in their title), or does its lack of the term "Illusion" in its name and absence of the catchphrase mean it should not count as an Illusion for effects like Avatar's Staff?

Sikra should be treated as if its Illusionary Effect is nameless and it has the word 'Illusion' in its Region box.

I was playing against Paradwyn today and my opponent played Liriel's Cape and then played a Jungle Hyren. He said he could play the Jungle Hyren with 5 more energy—2 for the Hyren effect and 3 for the Cape (paying it of course). I said that he could not do that. Who's right and why?

You were correct; the Jungle Hyren could not gain the benefits of Liriel's Cape or its own Dreamwarp ability, because Liriel's Cape only affects Creatures in play (and a Creature is not in play at the point you would pay for Dreamwarping changes), and the Jungle Hyren has to be in play in order to use its version of the Dreamwarp Effect (and it is not in play to use the effect while it is being played).

What happens at the end of the turn when Arosa has a Cawh in play? Can you process Shell Game at all? If you do, what happens? Can you gain control of opposing creatures? Will Cawh remain under your control if you use Shell Game?

Treat Cawh as if he had the following: Cawh (First Nameless Effect): If Cawh is discarded or returned to your hand by an opposing card while it has energy, discard six energy from Cawh instead. Opposing cards cannot make Cawh change controllers. The opponent would receive Cawh, but you would not receive it back later because Arosa would then be an opposing card trying to take control of Cawh.

Is there an official list of 'creature types' that can be used to prove the legality of getting creatures?

Any single word (ignoring plurality) in a Creature's name is a valid Creature type.

What happens if I have Sorreah in play and play a warlum to fetch a Ythra's mantle and play it? What starting cards do I search for, any spell? The same goes for the Dresh Spell Redream. Also what if I am playing Scyalla or Quilla?

You could not play the Mantle, because Sorreah is an Arderial Magi and it is a d'Resh Relic. In the case of Redream, Sorreah would only be able to take a Sorreah's Dream, and Scyalla would only be able to take a Weave Powder, because these are the only printed starting cards they have.

I read in a previous Rules Digest that a frozen magi would not be able to play a Spirit card when defeated since they would not be able to pay the additional energy. I find this confusing due to the timing word 'when.' Since it seems you can only play this spell after your magi has been defeated (and the defeat has been resolved) you would have no magi in play. If you have no magi in play then you would not have a frozen magi, and would not have to pay an additional energy.

The only Spirit Spell that cannot be played by a frozen Magi is Spirit of Rayje, because it is played before the Magi leaves play. You are correct about the other Spirits, though, there is no Magi to be frozen.

I also read that a non-Core magi would not be able to cast a Spirit spell that had been chosen by Entomb (and, by extension, a Core magi would not be able to cast Spirit of the Core if it had been chosen by Cleansing). I find this confusing, also because of the timing word 'when.' If there is no magi in play it would seem that there would be no magi to check for regional penalties and restrictions.

Technically speaking, playing a Spirit Spell ignores regional restrictions, because there is no Magi playing it (these are the ONLY cards currently that can be played without an active Magi, and having a zero cost means you can pay the zero energy to play them). A Core Magi could not play an Entombed Spirit of Arderial when they're defeated, because the Spirit requires an Arderial Magi be defeated, not the Magi of the Spell's region; but, a Cleansed Spirit of the Core could be played when a Core Magi is defeated, because its requirement is that a Core Magi be defeated, and there are no regional penalties to come into play.

Can a magi cast two Dream Channel or two Nightmare Channel spells with only one taking effect and the other serving as a 'backup' spell?

Yes; any additional Nightmare Channels or Dream Channels played will remain 'dormant' until the first one played stops affecting the chosen Magi; then, the next one that was played that had chosen the Magi will begin affecting it.

If a Zungg or Gwaeg is Cleansed into dual region Bograth/Kybar's Teeth or Bograth/Underneath creatures, are they still unplayable by magi that are not Bograth or Core?

Yes; Cleansing a Creature that states only Magi of certain regions may play it does not affect who can play it; even Magi of the new, cleansed region will not gain the ability to play the card.

What about Grej and Prek? Can they use their Kinship effects to play the Cleansed creatures without restriction or penalty?

In most cases; but in the case of a Creature such as Zungg, the ability for only Core and Bograth Magi to be able to play it is not a regional restriction, so Grej and Prek still cannot use them.

If I was a non-Core magi and took control of a Glabit (say Anarchy or Abaquist or I Cleanse or Urhail or Mantle of Shadows Corrupt) and make all my Bograth creatures also Core (or Core/Bograth/Paradwyn in the case of things like Treepsh, N'kala, Mydra, etc) can I then use Cleanse to make those Creatures Kybar's Teeth/Bograth/Paradwyn or Underneath/Bograth/Paradwyn for the remainder of the game?

You may only Cleanse a card that is printed as Core, not a card that is put into play and then becomes Core by another card effect.

In a previous RD the RT stated that the d'Resh spell Redream would pull nothing for Rayje and only the Staff of Hyren for Yerthe. Could you explain why they couldn't pull Rayje's Construct and Weave Powder, respectively?

It was a simple matter of forgetting those cards (because we only checked the cards in question). Rayje would be able to get his Construct and Yerthe would get the Weave Powder.

If you can't Redream the above cards, does that mean they would be unaffected by Spirit of Orothe?

Spirit of Orothe replaces the STARTING line in its entirety, including cards that are there but aren't printed there (cards with "STARTING: Magi Name" on them).

What is the misprint on Thresh?

Thresh is misprinted. Rethresh is an Effect, not a Power.

What is the errata and reasoning on Will of Orothe?

Will of Orothe now attaches to an opposing Magi. If it remains attached during that Magi's Attack step, you choose whether or not that Magi's Creatures attack and which Creatures they attack, with the restriction that a Creature may not attack another Creature controlled by the same player. Discard Will of Orothe at the beginning of your next turn. The reasoning for this change is to address the abuse caused by the Will/Entangle combo, which allowed indefinite stalling in unfair combo decks. Previously, both Will and Entangle affected the opponent rather than their Magi, making suppression nearly unstoppable. This revision aligns the card with modern design intent by targeting the Magi directly and allowing the effect to be dispelled, thus preventing infinite control loops.

What is the errata and reasoning on Blizzard Core?

Blizzard Core was errataed because it was never intended to be used with Perpetual Motion, and a Magi using this relic should not receive the energy bonus for the turn, as it would almost certainly seal their chances of success. The effect now triggers at the beginning of your Energize step, before energizing, where you choose a Magi; if that Magi has no Creatures in play and your Magi has more energy than the chosen Magi's starting energy, discard Blizzard Core and defeat the chosen Magi.

What is the errata and reasoning on Creeping Chill?

Creeping Chill: Until the end of your next turn, as one of your Kybar's Teeth Creatures is attacked, it gains three energy if you control at least one Bograth Creature, and as one of your Bograth Creatures attacks, it gains three energy if you control at least one Kybar's Teeth Creature. Reasoning: Because of unfair abuse with Overwrite-style abilities, players were able to intentionally misuse Creeping Chill to the detriment of their environment. This change to the Spell enables it to continue being a combat booster for Bograth/Kybar's Teeth decks, but not in a way that can be overly abused.

Can I use the belt to lock down the unnamed effect that prevents one of my illusions from attacking a Magi directly as well as keeping me from being defeated if my illusion is in play and I have no other creatures or energy on my magi?

No. Rayje’s Belt says to name a Power or Effect on a card in play. Effects without a name cannot be named.

Does Drajan's ability to negate Effects during attacks prevent Yaki from allowing his creatures to attack twice per turn?

No, Drajan’s Effect prevents the use of Effects that occur during/in an attack/attacks, but not Effects that occur outside of attacks (such as Yaki's Double Strike).

Would Flutteryups Dodge, which makes it lose no energy in the attack if a creature with more than 3 energy was involved in the attack, keep it from losing the additional energy from it being stalked (which seems to be part of the attack)?

Yes, if the conditions for Dodge are met, the Flutter Yup will lose no energy during that attack.

Can 'Umm... No!' be used to prevent a creature from being discarded by Dessicate, which removes all energy and causes the creature to be discarded?

The phrase "specifically discard a Creature" should now be read as "discard a Creature while it has energy." The word "specifically" is obsolete and no longer used on cards. Dessicate discards the creature when it has no energy, so 'Umm... No!' cannot be played to save the creature.

If Sarazen Outcast's Favored Enemy is D'Resh (or Kybar's Teeth) and it attacks a Sandstone Hyren, which has Super Invulnerability (loses two less energy from attacks and loses no energy from effects during any player's attack), would it lose any energy from the Sarazen Outcast's effect Bane (add four energy before energy is removed when in an attack with its Favored Enemy)? Example: Sarazen Outcast is at 3 energy, Sandstone Hyren is at 9. Would the SC end the battle dead, having done 5 total damage to the SH or just 1?

Sarazen Outcast’s Effect does not do anything to any other Creatures. The Outcast in your example would attack, gaining four energy, and would then be at seven energy. Combat between the two Creatures is handled normally. In the example, it would remove five energy (7 – 2) from the Hyren, and the Hyren would remove nine energy from the Outcast (defeating it).

Unmake refers to doing 1 damage to each creature of the same type as the one that was just unmade. Does that mean region or named creatures? Example: If I Unmake a Balamant, do all Naroom creatures in play lose one energy or all Balamants in play lose 1 energy?

A Creature type is any one whole word in a Creature’s Name, ignoring plurals. This is different from Regions, which are found on a Creature’s subtitle. For example, if a Balamant Pup were chosen as the target for Unmake, all Balamants and all Pups would lose one energy after the chosen creature was discarded (another Balamant Pup would only lose one energy, not two for sharing more than one type).

Can Brushfire be played from the discard pile during your opponent’s turn? If so, when can you use its effect?

The way to play Brushfire is to treat it as if it were in your hand. You play it the same way whether it is in your hand or discard pile. You can normally only play Brushfire in your hand on your turn, and during a PRS step. The same is true for a Brushfire in the discard pile (note that cards like Good Ol’ Ashgar allow you to break this rule).

When played from the discard pile, can its cost be reduced by other S/P/R's such as Robe of the Ages? When played from the discard pile, can its damage be enhanced by other S/P/R's like Scroll of Fire?

Robes of the Ages and Scroll of Fire (and other cards) affect Brushfire when you play it from your hand, and so they do the same when you play Brushfire from the discard pile.

Does Sunburn cause a creature to lose two additional energy when paying the cost for a power?

No. Energy used to pay for the cost of a power does not count as energy loss, removing energy, or any similar effect. Another example is Dryte Fiend's Effect 'Condemn'—using 'Condemn' on an opponent's 3-energy Magma Hyren will not cause it to die when it uses one of its powers.

If a Crushing Spell is played on Shivara’s creature, is the creature returned to its owner's hand per Shivara's effect? Why or why not?

Yes, the creature would be returned to its owner's hand, because it is being discarded from play by an opposing spell.

If the creature is returned to its owner's hand due to Shivara's effect, does the second effect of the Crushing Spell go off?

No, because Shivara’s effect says that the creature is returned to its owner’s hand "instead." The secondary effect of the Crushing Spell would not occur.

If Shivara’s effect goes off, does it apply to all energy removal spells?

Yes, if the spell is an opposing one and reduces the creature to zero energy.

My opponent wants to cast Crushing Bolt on my Mosp so they can attack my other creatures. My Vogo uses Interrupt to retarget the spell to my Sandstone Hydra, which is currently the largest creature in play. Does my Sandstone Hydra simply take four damage or does my opponent find themselves paying the extra cost to target Sandstone Hydra? Does the spell just fizzle? What if my opponent cannot afford the extra cost?

The Sandstone Hydra will lose four energy from the Crushing Bolt. Your opponent does not need to pay any additional energy because they did not choose the Sandstone Hydra. If you read Vogo, you will see that you are the one choosing the Sandstone Hydra, not your opponent. 'Interrupt' says, '…you may choose any one of your other creatures in play…')

Can Yaw restore a frozen creature with more than its starting energy back down to their starting energy?

Yes. Restoring a Creature to its starting energy can add or remove energy.

Does Icefang Battlesled allow creatures that normally could not attack strike a Magi? Unlike Energy Band it does not have the "if able" text.

Yes, Icefang Battlesled allows the chosen Creature to attack, even if it would normally not be allowed to.

Is the Power - Rethresh supposed to be an Effect? The reason this is important is how would this Power be triggered during an opponent’s turn and how would it work if the Thresh is frozen?

Yes. This is a misprint. Treat the card as if it said, "Effect – Rethresh: Whenever..."

Can Inferno Xyx use its Power when it has only 4 energy, given that the power requires discarding itself and paying 4 energy simultaneously?

Yes, an Inferno Xyx at four energy can use its Power. The same is true for cards like Core Grag; if a Creature uses a Power with a self-referential discard cost (meaning it specifically names itself to be discarded), then the cost is fulfilled if the Creature ends up in the discard pile at any point during cost payment.

When a Comet Hyren attacks, it deals double damage to the opposing creature. If I have Storm Wings out, would it double the energy removed by Comet Hyren's Bright Tail effect, since that is what it removes 'normally?'

No; The two effects do not stack because both set the energy removed based on the Creature's current energy total. A 7E Comet Hyren would remove fourteen energy (both its effect and Storm Wings cause it to remove the same final amount of energy).

Do cards that don't specifically say "choose" pass through Laranel and Instant Fortress, such as Xyx (discard 4 energy from any Magi) or mass removal spells with multiple targets?

The most recent printing of Xyx uses the word "choose." Additionally, cards that have a global effect, like Ormagon, Poison Baloo Root, Cataclysm, etc., are not affected by Laranel (or Sandstone Hyren, or Instant Fortress, etc.). Card effects that do not "choose" are not affected by those cards. Note that there are a few cards that clearly involve choices, but do not specifically use the word Choose. Any time that you have to make a decision regarding which card to affect, you are "choosing," for all game purposes.

If Horizon Mirage allows me to play creatures for free at the end of the next turn, but my opponent plays Spirit of Nar during that turn, what happens to the creatures I was supposed to play? Are they wasted, or do they have to wait another turn to be played?

Spirit of Nar prevents a player from playing cards from their hand. It has no effect on cards played from any other location.

If two Ballistic Baldars are played by the same player, will both effects trigger at the same time or just one? If one effect resolves first, the other Ballar may lose 3 energy and be unable to perform its effect, right?

Both Ballistic Baldars' Effects will trigger. Ballistic Baldar's Effect occurs whether or not it has enough energy. If the Effect removes the last of the Baldar's energy, the Baldar is discarded and the Effect does nothing else.

Could I really make a Weave/Naroom creature attack FOUR times a turn using The Hunt, Weave Seed, and Yaki's Gauntlets?

Yes, the Creature would be able to attack four times in the example given.

If I draw a card outside my draw step and my opponent puts down a Snow Barl Pup, can I use Phrup to discard it? If so, does my opponent get four free energy back if they are a Nar Magi? What about if Vertigo was cast—does the penalty from Vertigo apply when playing the Snow Barl Pup and then return to the Magi?

Yes, you can use Phrup to stop a Snow Barl Pup that is played using its Effect. You may use Phrup’s "Time Lapse" any time an opponent plays a card. If your opponent paid no energy to play the Time Lapsed card (for example, if they Dreamdraft a Snow Barl Pup using a Nar Magi), then no energy is returned to that Magi. If that player paid energy to play that card (for example, if they Dreamdraft a Snow Barl Pup using a non-Nar Magi), that much energy is returned to that player’s Magi; this includes all cost increases (like regional penalties) or reductions (like robes of the ages). Vertigo only affects a Magi on that Magi’s Player’s turn. It does not increase the cost of cards played by that Player on anyone else’s turn. Snow Barl Pup, when played using its effect "Dreamdraft," ignores all costs. If its cost would somehow be increased, it would ignore the increased cost.

Koll plays and activates Kybar's Fang. After using it to attack and crush a 6 energy Grax, Koll realizes that he only has two energy left and the Fang will revert back to a relic at the end of the turn, leaving him open and with only two energy. Can Koll use Dream Twist to twist out Kybar's Fang and bring in another creature to defend? If so, what can Koll twist in? Is Kybar's Fang considered to have a starting energy of eight? Fourteen?

None; a Creature that is not printed as a Creature has a printed starting energy of zero.

By the same logic that a shadow magi who uses Nagsis's Interchange multiple times stops being a shadow magi because they have 'forgotten' being possessed, could Bria play non-Orothe/non-Universal relics from one region, Interchange out, then play relics from a different region when she Interchanges in again, and repeat this process?

Yes. Bria’s effect is used each time she is revealed.

How do regional penalties work for Universal Magi? Can they just summon whatever they want without penalty?

Universal Magi are from their own region, which is a jack-of-all-trades and yet a master of none. They must pay a regional penalty for all non-Universal cards while non-Universal Magi continue to have no penalty for Universal cards. The Universal 'region' is what the Eliwan wielded initially from the time they started using the magic of the Moonlands. It is the basis for which all magic of the Moonlands is founded; later on, different regional founders and elders tempered the practices and learnings of the Eliwan to tailor their own distinct styles of magic, encompassing the summoning of non-Universal Dream Creatures as well. While regional Magi had to learn the Eliwan teachings as a foundation for their more specialized, regional-specific forms of magic, Universal Magi never fully graduated beyond the initial Eliwan teachings, either by choice (Rayje), lack of access (Tuku), or lack of practice (Tony Jones).

Does Targ'n's enhanced invulnerability work with Sandstone Hyren's super invulnerability?

No. Enhanced Invulnerability only works for Creatures with the Effect "Invulnerability".

Chur has a Dark Cragnoc, a Vogo (thanks to Agram's Staff), and a Dagok in play. The opponent wants to hit the Dagok with a Grow spell. Chur uses the Vogo's Interrupt to redirect the spell to the Dark Cragnoc. Does the DC gain energy from Grow? Or does the Vogo count for being the one making DC get the spell, thus counting as one of my cards and not having effect?

Dark Cragnoc cannot gain energy from your cards, but your opponent’s Grow is not your card (Vogo does not change the controller of the Spell or Power). The Dark Cragnoc would gain the energy.

If you and your opponent have Nar Magi with an Essence of Frost in play and you want to play a spell of the Nar spell, would you have to pay two additional energy due to both Essence of Frost being in play?

No. 'Frozen' is a status effect, and as such is not cumulative (it does not stack).

If I have both Yaki and his Gauntlets in play, do my Naroom creatures get to attack three times each turn? I question that they can since the name of both the power and effect are the same (Double Strike) and am unsure if both would apply.

Yes, Yaki and his Gauntlets work together. The name of a Power or Effect has no bearing on whether or not it works with another Power or Effect.

Is it correct that, unless specified otherwise, effects that trigger on an attack occur after energy is removed when the attack is complete?

No, 'on an attack' is not a recognized timing word. 'As a creature attacks' triggers before energy is removed, and 'When/Whenever' triggers after energy is removed.

If 'as a creature attacks' triggers before energy is removed, does Creeping Chill also add energy to creatures before energy is removed, assuming they survive?

Yes, Creeping Chill has been errata'd to use 'as' timing, so it triggers before energy is removed.

When using a Move power or spell, do I only add energy equal to the amount of energy I remove?

Correct.

If Tryn Flame-Saver uses Energy Substitution (Cald) and my Kelthet uses Consume on another creature I own, such as a Braggle with 4e, does the Braggle gain 4e and my Kelthet also gain 4e?

No, the definition of Move is 'discard X energy to add X energy.' In this case, Energy Substitution turns the energy discard into an energy gain. This allows the Kelthet to add instead of discard energy from his target, but since there was no energy discarded from the target, there will be no energy added to the Kelthet.

Are you now able to staff the Will of Orothe? Is it considered to be 'affecting only the magi' or is it affecting the creatures as well? What if you don't have any creatures in play, would the Staff work then?

No. Will of Orothe affects both the Player (decisions about creature attacks) and his or her Creatures (may not use powers), but does not affect the Magi at all.

Just curious how this stops the Will/Entangle combo.

The major change is the fact that a new magi flip will not enter play under the effects of Will of Orothe. You now also have the ability to remove Will with a Sandstorm Orhsaa and Rayje's Cloak.

Does Stalking cause energy loss during an attack, and how does it relate to Flutter Yup's ability?

No, this is not a change—Stalking has always caused energy loss during the attack. The ruling clarifies that Flutter Yup's ability prevents energy loss "in the attack," meaning any energy loss that occurs during the attack from any source, including Stalking. This differs from Burrow, which only affects energy loss "from attacks," specifically energy loss during step 7 of the Attack description in the glossary.

If Gilded Cage is discarded from hand to prevent the discard of a Creature from play by Gloom, is the second part of Gilded Cage triggered?

Yes; you are discarding the Gilded Cage as a result of your opponent's Gloom spell, so you will get to draw cards from the Gilded Cage's anti-discard text. The fact that his spell gives you a choice does not change the fact that an opposing spell caused the discard.

Does the effect Immunity (opposing Effects do not affect Krawg) prevent Krawg from being frozen?

Yes; if an opposing Effect is generating the Frozen status, Krawg will not be frozen by it. Of course, Krawg may still be frozen by your own Effects, or by opposing spells or Powers that freeze creatures.

Does Sandsifter's unnamed effect have the ability to prevent Sandsifter from dying in combat?

No; the effect cannot prevent Sandsifter from dying in combat because energy cannot be retroactively added. The effect only activates after the process of discarding Sandsifter has already begun, specifically when moving to the step of discarding it from play. Since the effect can only negate current influences on Sandsifter, it can stop the discard caused by an opposing card reducing its energy to zero—but not the subsequent discard triggered by game rules due to having zero energy. After the opposing card's influence is negated, Sandsifter remains with zero energy in play, which triggers a discard via rule effect without any source affecting it, leading to its removal from play.

So, just to double check, will Sand Strands be clarified to match the current Illusion template?

No; The 'Illusionary' status granted by Sand Strands was intended to be different from normal Illusionary cards.

What is the errata on Deep Wellisk?

Deep Wellisk may not be discarded from play by opposing cards while it has energy. Your cards cannot increase Deep Wellisk's energy total.

Will Ashio replace "Core Creature" for "Universal Creature" at the Forgotten Dancer Universal Relic?

Yes

Drig's Leech Power affects all of an opponent's creatures. Would Sandstone Hyren's Monolith Effect activate?

No. Monolith isn't activated because Sandstone Hyren is not chosen.

Does Dewstone's Power work if it's played on the same turn that Creatures have been discarded?

Yes, it does.

Does Uwamar's Watch Effect activate on itself entering play?

No, for two reasons: One, Watch says "whenever you play any OTHER Weave creature". Two, Effects on creatures do not work until they are in play, unless they are self-referential (such as most Dreamwarp effects).

When cards like Bagala Fangs say 'change a creature's starting energy to 10 or 1, does that mean the energy actually on the card or the number printed on the card? For instance, if you have a Bagala Hunter in play at 4 energy and activate Bagala Fangs, does it now have 10 energy or still 4? Can you bring a creature's starting energy down to one and then use Yark Yark Gloves on them?

The Powers on Bagala Fangs and Slime Stone only change the 'effective' number on the card. They do not affect the actual amount of energy on the card, nor the literal printed value.

When Bagala Fangs or a Slime Stone is used to set a Quido Swarm's starting energy to 1, what happens next turn, when the Quido Swarm is restored to its starting energy? Does "Calling" override "Downs" (or "Shriveled Dreams")?

"Downs" (or "Shriveled Dreams") sets Quido Swarm's starting energy to one when the power is used. However, "Calling" continually sets the Swarm's energy to be equal to the number of Bograth and Paradwyn creatures in play. Calling has precedence.

This is a question about wording versus intent. Torpar gets an additional energy when all of your creatures gain energy. In our tournament this weekend it was brought to my attention that Torpar doesn't say 'all at once.' This is an extremely literal reading of the text, but would it still gain an additional energy if the energy gain occurs during the same turn, but at different times?

Torpar will only gain an additional energy if a card adds energy to every one of your creatures, all at once.

Also a question about Drakhar. Does its Dominate trigger when the Drahkar is undreamed or only when he leaves play and goes into the discard?

Cards are considered discarded if their immediate destination is the discard pile. Undreamed cards go to the hand, not the discard. Drahkar's Dominate only triggers when it is discarded (either while it has energy, or by being reduced to zero energy).

Can I use Slime Stone on a Vopok that has 10 starting energy due to an effect like Koll's Dream Twist in order to play a Sandstone Hyren from my deck, even though the Vopok would normally have 4 starting energy?

Yes, this is legal. Although cards lose their memory of effects when they leave play, the starting energy value is checked and locked in at the time the Power is activated. Since the Vopok has 10 starting energy when the Power is used, it qualifies for playing a Sandstone Hyren, even if it would otherwise return to 4 starting energy after being discarded.

If a Creature loses no energy in attacks (such as a Creature Shielded by Shard of the Great Fossil), does it still lose energy from Effects that would normally affect them (such as Crystal Lascinth's Spines or Rehlya's Counterweave)?

A Creature that loses no energy in attacks will lose no energy from Rehlya's Counterweave, or Crystal Lascinth's Spines. This is different from loses no energy 'from' attacks.

Can Barqua's Bubble protect Cawh from spells like Dessicate or Sandswirl, and can it protect Cawh from Shockwave given that Cawh's effect changes a Shockwave's discard to energy loss?

Barqua's Bubble cannot protect Cawh from Dessicate because Cawh's first effect states 'other cards cannot prevent Cawh from losing energy.' Sandswirl does not discard energy, it only increases the amount of energy discarded in attacks, so Barqua's Bubble can stop Sandswirl from affecting Cawh. Barqua's Bubble can protect Cawh from Shockwave because you may choose to resolve the Bubble before Cawh's protective effect. If Cawh is losing six energy to prevent a discard effect, that energy loss occurs due to Cawh's own effect, not from an opposing card.

Does the Sand Hyren affect itself the first time it is played with the Magi Drajan?

No; see Question 4.

In the most recent RD, it was stated that Will of Orothe cannot be staffed as it affects the player and the Magi. But, as per the errata attaching WoO to a Magi is the first step, does this not make it Staffable?

Once again, The correct Errata on Will of Orothe is: Will of Orothe - Orothe Spell - 6 - Attach Will of Orothe to an opposing Magi. While Will of Orothe is attached, that Magi's Creatures may not use Powers. During that Magi's Attack step, you choose whether or not that Magi's Creatures attack and what they attack. A Creature may not attack another Creature or Magi controlled by the same player. Discard Will of Orothe at the beginning of your next turn. Attaching a card to a Magi does not inherently affect the Magi. Will of Orothe does not affect the Magi, because it does not in any way alter the game state of the Magi; it instead affects the Magi's player, the Magi is needed so that the Will has a 'point of reference' to see which player it's supposed to affect, but it's never directly interacted with by the Spell. It also affects the Magi's Creatures, "That magi's creature's may not use powers." Will of Orothe is not 'staff-able'.

If I have a creature with 1 energy and my magi has 1 energy, but my creature has a Tar Hyren on it (which causes both the creature and magi to lose 1 energy at the beginning of my turn before energizing), do I get to flip to my next magi this turn even though my current magi dies before energizing?

At the beginning of your turn, your creature and your magi would each lose 1 energy. Your magi would be defeated. You would not get to flip your next magi. All events (game rules, Magi flipping, or effects) trigger at the same time—specifically at the beginning of your turn. Then the active player processes their effects and game events in the order they choose. In this case, the active player has none. Then the inactive player processes their effects in the order they choose. Here, the effect on the attached Tar Hyren triggers. Since you have already passed the point at which you can reveal a new magi, you do not get to.

Can the Fird Stone be used to protect against the Will of Orothe? Specifically, can it prevent a Furok from attacking next turn, or does it only affect creatures in general? Also, since the Fird Stone says "whenever," which seems out of order compared to spell resolution timing, what is the point of using it after effects are already resolved? Wouldn't using "as" make it too powerful?

Yes, Fird Stone can protect all of your Furoks (not all creatures) from Will of Orothe.

If Shattershards discards a relic with an X in the cost, should it assume that X == 0? This came up in a recent game when I played Shattershards on a Naroom Magi with Evu's Jellybeans (the only relic with an X cost currently, I believe) in play. My opponent had originally placed two counters on the relic, but only had one left. If X =/= 0, then what would X have been considered at the time Shattershards was played? (My guess is two, since X =/= jellybeans...)

In all cases where X is not specified, X = zero.

It has been brought to my attention that the Grass Etiki effect Dreamwarper does not stack if there are multiple copies of Grass Etiki in play. I've been looking through the previous Digests trying to find this, but I've been unable to. If you could direct to the right digest or explain why this doesn't stack and yet Ergars do I'd appreciate it.

Multiple Grass Etikis will add multiple Dreamwarps to your Weave Creatures and multiple copies of Weave to your Paradwyn Creatures. Three Grass Etikis in play will allow you to Dreamwarp for up to three Energy, and allow you to use the Weave Effect for up to a three Energy shift.

If there is a Gum-Gum and a Giant Parmalag in play on one side and the Giant Parmalag uses its Withdraw power, and an opponent attacks the Gum-Gum, what would happen if Gum-Gum tried to use its Slide Effect onto the Giant Parmalag? Would the attack be cancelled? Would the attack successfully hit the Giant Parmalag? Or would the Gum-Gum remain the target of the attack?

No Slide can happen. If a Creature cannot be attacked, then it cannot be designated as the defender during an attack; the Gum-Gum cannot Slide to a Withdrawn Giant Parmalag. This is an official reversal to previous rulings on the matter.

If Agrilla uses Fear on Korrit, allowing Korrit to attack twice, can Korrit use Pack Hunt twice if it chooses?

Yes, if Korrit is chosen for Agrilla's Fear, it can Pack Hunt twice. Korrit's Pack Hunt can be substituted for its normal attack, so if the Korrit can attack more than once, it can pack hunt more than once.

I start my turn with O'qua and I use Conjure. I then manage to interchange through all three Magi and I come back to O'Qua. Can I use Conjure again?

Yes, once a Magi leaves play, the rules for card memory forget whether he or she used a Power or not.

Let's say I have a Tree Hinko in play, and already used its power. On my opponent's turn he uses Crushing Fungus and happens to get rid of the Hinko. Then on my turn, I use a Flood of Energy, would I, in effect be canceling out the Hinko's power, energize for two more with the Flood, or just energize for two more the next time I energize?

After the Tree Hinko uses its power, the next time you energize, regardless of why, when, or how, you get the bonus.

If my opponent tries to nuke my Sandsifter, can I discard one of their Oracles instead of mine to save it?

Yes, you may; 'any one Oracle' encompasses opposing Oracles as well.

If this happens while my opponent is Risha, can she be instantly defeated this way?

Yes, if this scenario were to happen.

What happens if both players have only one Sandsifter left as their sole Oracle? Wouldn't the targeting of the opponent's Oracle continue indefinitely since neither player wants to discard their Sandsifter?

Because an Oracle must be discarded to generate the effect of keeping the Sandsifter in play, discarding the Oracle is a 'cost'. Losing a card, energy, etc. for a cost has no source, and so the opposing Sandsifter would not get the opportunity to save itself by discarding an Oracle.

Does Kyg'n's effect "True Grit" protect him from direct defeat effects like Awakening, Trug's Cataclysm, and Risha's Glorious Prophesy?

Yes; he must still be attacked in order to be defeated.

If Kyg'n has a Dewstone in play, no energy, and an illusion in play, can he discard the Dewstone to gain five energy? (Or can any magi, for that matter?)

Yes, but only at the time in which he would be defeated.

Can Paradwyn Magi cast Bloom and use K'teeb Thumper to Dream Thump if Naroom Magi used a power during their turn?

No. Dreamthump specifies that the Creature or Magi must have used a Power on its last turn.

This question is about the card Furok Protector. The card says: Effect - Thick Coat When you play Furok Protector, choose an opposing Magi. Set Furok Protector's energy equal the chosen Magi's energize. Say Player A plays a Furok Protector. Player's B magi is Fiend of Furoks (energize rate 6). Furok Protector's energy is now 6. My question is does the three extra energy come from player's A magi, player's B magi, or neither?

Neither, you simply set the energy of the Creature equal to the opposing Magi's Energize rate.

If Scyalla uses Pet Project to make something like Drushes or Wudges Weave Creatures, does that mean that Core magi will not be able to play those creatures? Barring something like Ashio with Agram's Staff, that is.

No, Pet Project only affects the Creatures of the chosen type that you play. It does not affect the opposing cards at all.

Similarly, if Scyalla uses Pet Project to make Grags Weave creatures, does that mean Underneath and Kybar's Teeth magi can not use Cleansing to make Core Grag (now Weave Grag?) a Kybar's Teeth or Underneath creature? What if a creature is Cleansed first and then Pet Projected?

No. Your cards do not actually change type until they are played. When you play them, they come into play as Weave.

Can an Arderial Shadow Magi trigger Grand Epik's effects? If not, is there any way I can make the magi trigger the effects?

No. All Shadow Magi are Core Magi.

Do all shadow magi need Agram's Staff to play cards of their original region?

Yes, unless a card states otherwise. There are several cards that include text such as '[region] shadow magi may play [this card]', and some magi such as Evil Evu have specific text allowing them to play non-core cards.

If I play an Abraxin's Crown from my hand to block a Storm of Fishes, do I still need to show my hand to my opponent?

Yes. Storm of Fishes does two things. It Reveals your hand then discards cards; Abraxin's Crown only stops the discard.

When Wence the Wanderer plays Tuk Berries and Energy Band in his first Spells/Powers/Relics phase and uses both of their powers on his Bungaloo, which power takes priority? Does it depend on the order in which he used the relics' powers?

The order in which the powers are used determines priority; the last power applied takes precedence. However, if the creature is a Junjertrug, this does not change the outcome because Hunger states the creature must attack if able, but Nourish overrides this by preventing attacks altogether.

Does the errata on Deep Wellisk eliminate energy reorganization through cards such as Flame Control?

Yes; the text of the Wellisk's nameless Effect should be read as follows: Effect: Deep Wellisk may not be discarded from play by opposing cards while it has energy. Your cards cannot increase Deep Wellisk's energy total. If a rearrange effect is used, energy may be taken from the Wellisk, but if you try to place it back (or place it there from another source), the energy is lost.

If my Rock Hyren is hit with a Sawgrass, is it discarded from play?

Yes.

If Ninx uses Stare Down while Rayje's Cloak is in play with no energy, and the opposing player plays a Climbing Staff, does the Climbing Staff prevent Stare Down from being used again on Ninx's next turn?

Yes, Ninx would be able to use Stare Down again during her next turn. The Climbing Staff only negates the specific instance of the Power or effect it targets, making that single use do nothing. Since Powers are not continuous effects and each use is a new instance, if Ninx attempts to use Stare Down again on a subsequent turn—assuming all requirements are met—the effect would be active once more unless another Climbing Staff or similar card prevents it.

If you were to use Mohani or Thrybe to make Sandswirl a power on one of your creatures, what would happen when the creature then tried to use said power?

As with any other Spell that must attach itself, the Spell card would be moved to the chosen Creature or Magi, and the Power could no longer be used as there is no Spell card attached to reference.

If an opponent uses Cataclysm to discard all of Ninx's creatures/relics and she uses Bloom in response, spending her last point of energy, would she be defeated before she could use Stare Down?

No; the rules of Magi defeat for having no energy in play require all pending Spells and other effects to resolve before the Magi is discarded from play. Bloom doesn't resolve until the Power it allows you to use resolves, so Ninx would get her Stare Down before being defeated.

Why does Kyg'n's effect "True Grit" set precedence over Risha's "Glorious Prophecy"?

Glorious Prophecy defeats an opposing magi. However, Kyg'n's effect states that he "is not defeated", even if he normally would be, until he is directly attacked while in a state that would normally indicate his defeat. Whereas direct defeat affects circumvent the defeat rules by ignoring them and removing the Magi anyway, True Grit takes it one step higher and adds an additional requirement to defeat, no matter how it may occur.

If I play Olum Digger during my creature step and pay 1e during my second P/S/R step to attack a Magi directly this turn, can I attack my opponent's Magi directly during that second P/S/R step?

The Power does not allow the chosen Creature to attack outside of the Attack step; the Creature would not be able to attack.

If I have 2 Ergars in play, can I use 2 Sparks at the same time?

No; two Ergars do grant two copies of Spark, but Powers cannot be voluntarily activated simultaneously. You may choose to use and resolve the first copy of Spark, then choose and resolve the second copy of Spark.

Can Giant Arboll use its Power of Healing Flame with Tryn Flame-Saver's Energy Substitution to first add up to six energy to itself and then add the same amount to itself again?

No; the caveat to the move mechanic is that it will not add energy if none was literally discarded, because move mechanics are not 'discard THEN add', they are 'discard TO add'. Though the energy amount that Energy Substitution changed from discard to add was intended as discard, it did not literally discard, so that amount is not added during the 'add X energy' part of the move mechanic, where 'X' is the amount actually discarded.

Can Sunburn be attached to Lovian (is attaching the card considered to affect Lovian)? If Sunburn can be attached to Lovian, when a damage condition occurs to Lovian to trigger the Sunburn, can Sunburn damage Lovian?

Attaching a card to something does not necessarily affect it. You can attach Sunburn (and other non-Arderial Spells) to a Lovian. Sunburn does not affect the Creature it is attached to, it only changes the amount of energy removed by other cards. It will work normally while attached to a Lovian.

Is attaching a non-Arderial Spell (such as Sunburn) to a Lovian legal? In this case, I assume the Lovian wouldn't receive extra damage from the Sunburn. What if Haunt is attached to a Lovian? Is the Lovian's Resistance still active when it is discarded? At what point does the Resistance shut off?

Attaching a card to something does not necessarily affect it. You can attach Sunburn (and other non-Arderial Spells) to a Lovian. Sunburn does not affect the Creature it is attached to, it only changes the amount of energy removed by other cards. It will work normally while attached to a Lovian. In the case of Haunt, the Lovian will be returned to play on the Haunt’s controller’s side because Resistance only applies when the Lovian is in play. However, the Lovian will not become Core and can attack on the same turn it returns to play. This is because the changing of region and the cannot-attack-this-turn parts of Haunt occur while the Lovian is in play – Resistance applies.

Does a creature have to be in play at the time I discard Magma Parmalag for that creature to benefit from the Parmalag's power?

No. Magma Parmalag’s Power affects Creatures that come into play after it has been used. Unless you are required to choose a Creature in play (Agram’s Armor), or the card has been clarified to state otherwise (like Shadow Cloak), cards that affect your Creatures for a stated duration will apply to those that come into play after it has been used until the specified duration has elapsed.

If your opponent has taken/stolen one of your Creatures, is that Creature still considered a Creature you have in play? If so, can you return it to your hand as part of the requirement to play Morag's 'Gift'?

No. Whenever a card says ‘you’ or ‘your’ it is referring to the controller of the card it is printed on. If a card says to return one of ‘your’ Creatures to its owner’s hand, you can only return Creatures you control.

Your opponent has a Venger in play and has played a Sunburn on one of your creatures with 5 energy on it currently. You have an Agram's Armor in play. At the beginning of your turn you choose to use the Agram's Armor effect on your creature with the Sunburn attached to it. Moving on to your Attack phase, you then attack your opponent's Venger. What is the proper resolution of this situation?

Your 5-energy Creature will remove 5 energy from the opponent’s Venger, defeating it. Your opponent’s Venger will remove 2 energy from your 5-energy Creature; 2 + 2 (Sunburn) – 2 (Shield) = 2. Your Creature will be left at 3 energy.

After your attack step you still have a minimum of 15 on your current Magi. You play a Gorath. You then proceed to take control of a player's creature using the Gorath's power. Once you've obtained your opponent's creature, you play a Shadow Rain on the stolen Creature. This leaves your Magi with zero energy, and two creatures in play. On your opponent's turn, they quickly finish off your Gorath, thus gaining control of their creature again and defeating your Magi. The question at hand is will your opponent's Creature that had the Shadow Rain played on it leave play at the end of your opponent's next Attack phase? If not, will it leave play at the end of your next Attack phase?

Shadow Rain does not require that your Magi remain the same or that you retain control of the Creature in order to work. At the end of your next attack step Shadow Rain will move energy from that Creature to your Magi as normal. Due to the errata to Shadow Rain, this may or may not discard the Creature from play.

If my Abaquist takes over my opponent's Twee and they defeat it, does Twee's effect trigger twice—once for me when it goes to my discard pile and once for my opponent when it ultimately goes to their discard pile?

Twee’s effect will only work once, and only for the player who controlled the Creature when it was discarded from play. When the card is placed in a discard pile, it will be sent to its controller's discard pile, but its final destination will be the owner's.

Does Woot!'s effect "Savagery" override Invulnerability?

Yes, Woot!'s Wasperines remove energy as normal in attacks, regardless of Effects like Invulnerability (or status effects like Burrow).

Based on the most recent clarification, is the 'Move' effect considered distinct from 'discard' and 'add', allowing it to circumvent damage prevention/reduction effects (like Pylofuf or Baby Furok) and bypass restrictions on gaining energy (like Deep Wellisk), since it's not classified as a standard discard or add?

Move means "Discard energy from one card to add as much energy as was discarded to another card." This counts as both energy loss/discard and energy gain/addition. It will interact normally with cards that trigger on either adding or removing energy (like Forest Hyren’s 'Underbrush' or Amanax’s 'Pyromaniac') or those that prevent either adding or removing energy (like Tryn, Flame-Saver’s unnamed effect or Pylofuf’s 'Burrow'). 'Rearrange' is different from 'move' – 'Rearrange' is not considered energy removal/discard or energy gain/addition. The 'rearrange' mechanic is only found on two cards: Flame Control and Gift of the Weave.

Since cards that are regionally changed by effects like Scyalla aren't actually changed until they are played, how does Entomb fit into this? If Entomb only changes the card when it is played, then Cleansing wouldn't be able to return an entombed spell to the light side, and Entomb couldn't prevent a non-Core opponent from playing their good spells since those spells would still be non-Core until cast. Is this correct?

Entomb and Cleansing change the printed region of the named card. This change applies immediately (not just when the named cards are played), and applies to copies of the named cards in any hand, deck, discard pile, or cards in play. Scyalla’s Power specifically says that it applies to Creatures you play, and does not work the same way.

If my opponent has a Sandsifter in play with multiple Oracles, and I use Rockslide Hyren's Power 'Crush' targeting Sandsifter, can Sandsifter's Effect trigger to discard another Oracle and negate the effect of Crush, given that Crush states it is not affected by opposing cards and energy removal cannot be altered?

Rockslide Hyren’s Power will operate normally until after energy has been removed. If this loss of energy would discard Sandsifter from play, you can then use its Effect to save it by discarding another Oracle from play. If you do, Sandsifter will not be discarded from play by Rockslide Hyren’s Power – however, it will still be at zero energy and will be immediately discarded from play by the game rules.

Does the limited core card Dark Twins count as both Hrada and Warrada?

No. You can play The Dark Twins in the same Magi Stack as Warrada. In addition, Tomes of the Great Library and Warrada’s Ring are not starting cards for The Dark Twins.

If Phlouk uses his 'Ringtesting' power to put out a creature before the attack step and then immediately uses that creature's power which causes it to discard itself, does Phlouk still have to pay the cost for the creature at the end of the turn?

You only discard energy from Phlouk at the end of the turn if there is an energy value to check. If the creature is no longer in play, you discard no energy from Phlouk.

Can I use Shell Game with Cawh if my opponent cannot take control of Cawh due to Cawh's ability?

Cawh only prevents opposing cards from taking control of Cawh. Nothing prevents you from giving an opponent control of Cawh. If you control both Cawh and Shell Game, you will exchange control of creatures normally; however, when control would switch back, Cawh will remain under your control (since Shell Game is now on an opposing card), while the other creature returns to its previous controller normally.

My opponent has a Barqua's Bubble, a Vault of Knowledge Key, and another Relic in play. I use a Spell to remove energy from one of his creatures. When he activates the Bubble, since he has the Vault in play, can he choose then to discard the other Relic instead of shuffling the Bubble into his deck? Since Bubble says 'shuffle' instead of discard, I ruled that he must shuffle it in, and keep the other Relic in play. We were only playing casually, not a tourney, so I would like to have an official ruling for future tourneys.

Correct; the Bubble must be shuffled back, and the Vault cannot prevent this.

Kyg'n has no creatures and 10 energy. Kyg'n gets attacked by a 15-energy creature. A friend argued that he was directly attacked, had no energy, fulfilling all conditions to defeat him. I said that Kyg'n's effect gets triggered after all conditions are met, which is after the attack, meaning he must be attacked once more. Who's right?

You are correct. An attack which removes the last of Kyg'n’s energy does not defeat him. In order to be defeated, Kyg'n must be attacked while in a state which would normally defeat him (like having no energy and no creatures).

Can the RT please explain exactly how to use dreamwarp? Does the magi pay the full cost of the creature plus an additional x (whatever the creature is dreamwarping for)? What happens at the end of turn?

A Creature with a printed starting energy of 5 that has Dreamwarp can be played for 4, 5, or 6 energy. If you pay 6, it will come into play with 6 energy. Until the end of the turn, any cards that check that Creature’s starting energy value (Dream Balm, Ookami’s Drums, etc.) will treat that Creature as if its starting energy were 6 instead of 5. At the end of the turn, the Creature’s starting energy value reverts back to 5 (its printed starting energy value). This does not add or remove energy from the Creature.

Can I discard Risha from play to save my Sandsifter from being discarded by an opposing card? Would this defeat Risha?

Yes to both questions. Discarding a Magi from play defeats that Magi. In the above example, you could prevent your Sandsifter from being discarded by an opposing card by defeating your Magi, Risha – however, when your Magi is defeated, all of its cards are discarded from play (including the Sandsifter) by the Magi Defeat Rule.

When using M'ck as your Magi, are you able to reduce the cost of Sandstone Hyren because it has 'stone' in it, or does 'Stone/Stones' have to be a single word as in 'Crushing Stones'?

M'ck's Effects state that the cards must have the 'word' in their name, not just the letters. It will not apply to cards like Sandstone Hyren.

If my magi has 6 cards in his/her starting deck, can I search for all of them on my first turn?

No, you can search for up to five starting cards when revealing a new Magi. If your Magi has more than five starting cards (like Strag), you may only search for five of them.

If my opponent used 2 Vortex of Knowledge on their first turn (causing me to draw 4 cards) and it is now my first turn, can I search for my 4 starting cards?

Yes. When you reveal a new Magi, you may search for any of your Magi’s starting cards (up to 5), regardless of how many cards you have in your hand.

When an opposing Magi has no energy and no creatures on their side of the board, what happens to creatures of his that I took control of? Do they get discarded when the magi who summoned them is defeated? How about creatures played with Severos? Or, on a similar line, relics stolen with Crushing Surf?

When a Magi is defeated, all cards under their control are also discarded from play. This does not affect cards that the defeated player owns which may still be in play under the control of an opposing player. The manner in which the opponent gained control of the card is irrelevant.

Can I use a Climbing Staff to stop another Climbing Staff's effect when my opponent discards their Climbing Staff to negate my Stare Down?

You cannot use a Climbing Staff to stop a Climbing Staff.

How are chains of effects, such as those created by cards like Climbing Staff and Bloom, handled in the game?

The active player, the player whose turn it is, resolves his effects and actions first.

Is it possible to take control of a creature with Resistance using the effect of Spirit of the Core, given that I play Spirit of the Core when my Magi is defeated and only choose the creature later, after the Spirit has already left the battlefield?

Spirit of the Core is a Core Spell, and as such may not affect a Creature with Resistance.

Player A had a Jip on the table. Player B had a Mirago on the table. Player B played a Gwaeg and discarded Olabra's Staff to Mirago's effect, adding an additional 2 energy to Gwaeg. Was the Jip able to gain energy from this?

Yes. The Gwaeg is gaining two energy.

Would the same apply to Robe of Vines/Staff of Hyren/etc.?

Yes.

Or is it like Dreamwarp but without paying extra energy off your magi?

No, Dreamwarp actually changes the starting energy, so the cost is different.

When does Kyg'n's nameless Effect trigger, and how long does it last?

It is always in effect and checking. As such, if you have one Creature in play and play an Exposure, Kyg'n would lose four energy.

If my opponent uses a card like Beam of Light or Vaporize that targets multiple relics, can Orpus protect all targeted relics?

Yes, if Beam of Light discards two of your relics, Orpus may discard one energy to save the first relic and another energy to save the second. Against Vaporize, Orpus can choose to protect as many relics as it has energy for.

Does Stradus' backlash stack with creatures' backlash?

Yes it does. There are no rules that state powers or effects may not stack if they have the same name.

Is the Reconstruct effect limited to the active player's turn and only usable during the 'Bring creatures into play phase', or can it be used on either player's turn as a response to an attack or block?

Because Reconstruct states "as if it were in your hand," you may play a Furok using the Effect any time that you are allowed to play creatures. Without another card effect, Reconstruct is only relevant during your Play Creatures step, as this is the only time you may normally play creatures.

With my final two energy I play a Lesser Darbok, with defend I choose my Sikra an illusionary creature. The following turn a Wasperine is played and attacks my Lesser Darbok which defeats it. This now triggers Tangle, which now has my Lesser Darbok attached to the Wasperine. Now here's the problem: Check to see if the creature is defeated, well the Lesser Darbok still has no energy on it. So it's defeated again. If this is the case, Tangle does nothing.

Lesser Darbok's Effects should read as follows: Effect - Defend: When you play Lesser Darbok, choose one of your other Creatures in play. While Lesser Darbok has energy, the chosen Creature cannot be attacked. Effect - Tangle: If Lesser Darbok is defeated while defending, attach Lesser Darbok to the attacking Creature. While Lesser Darbok is attached, other cards cannot affect it and it cannot be discarded from play for having zero energy. The Creature it is attached to cannot attack.

Check to see if my Magi is defeated. (Well a creature can't normally be in play with zero energy but my Lesser Darbok is in play and I have an illusionary creature in play (the Sikra)) Guess my Magi is still alive, because I have a non-illusionary creature in play.

The rules for Magi defeat are stated in a slightly misleading manner in the rulebook; Magi are defeated specifically when they have no energy in play (as Illusionary Creatures do not count for purposes of Magi defeat, they are treated as having 0E), not generally when they have no Creature cards in play and no energy themselves.

Attacking the Lesser Darbok (which I'm assuming you can do because it's still in play) defeats the Lesser Darbok again, transferring his Tangle to the new creature. So basically you can't attack it again to get rid of it. Can you use a spell such as Brushfire or Shockwave? I know a Beam of Light works after all it is a creature with less than two energy.

The Darbok cannot be affected; it may still be attacked and trigger any Effects dependent on attacks, but otherwise nothing will happen.

Let's assume that my Magi is defeated normally. The Lesser Darbok is still in play because of Tangle...so can the Sikra be attacked?

Yes, because the Lesser Darbok no longer has energy.

I have a creature with zero energy in play, can it still act like a normal creature? Basically can it be the target of my spells such as Heal and be forced to attack by say Will of Orothe?

Any Creature that can keep itself in play with 0E generally has text stating that it cannot be affected; the Darbok managed to slip through proofreading.

I cast Heal giving one energy to Lesser Darbok the rest to my Sikra. So now my Tangle does nothing but he is still attached to the Wasperine? The Lesser Darbok is now attacked by a Furok which defeats it, again. Can the Lesser Darbok be attached to two different targets? Did it ever stop being attached to the Wasperine? Since the Wasperine was affected by the first Tangle and now Tangle has triggered again and hit a Furok are both creatures affected by Tangle?

The Lesser Darbok cannot be affected.

Does Gumph's effect trigger when it is itself discarded from play?

No.

If my opponent has no creatures in play and my Gumph triggers, must I hurt one of my own creatures?

Yes.

If my opponent has a Dagok and I have a Gumph, can I choose to have my Gumph hurt itself rather than give energy to my opponent's creature?

Yes.

Once per turn means once per Gumph, right? If I have all three Gumphs in play I can use their effect up to three times that turn as long as I have three triggers, right? Or can they all trigger on one card being discarded from play?

If you have three Gumphs in play, they must all trigger upon a Creature discard because they do not say "may".

What really happens when a Weebo targets a Dagok if the Dagok is not below its starting energy? Can the Weebo even touch it?

The Weebo attempts to return the Dagok to its starting energy. If it has three energy, it would lose two, because the Weebo would try and add two, but Dream Inversion turns it into energy loss instead.

What if the Weebo is controlled by a Cald magi with Scroll of Fire?

The Weebo would still try to add two, which is unaffected by the Scroll of Fire. After all of your effects are used, the opponent's turn kicks in and it is changed to energy loss.

What if Sunburn is attached to the Dagok?

The Weebo would still try to add two, but since Sunburn says whenever, it is always checking for energy loss. When the energy gain is changed to removal, the Sunburn kicks in and adds to it.

If Flame Saver Tryn is controlling the Weebo and she uses her power to turn energy discard into energy adding, would the Weebo end up restoring the Dagok back to five energy?

If you mean "she uses her power to turn energy adding into energy discard", then yes, the Dagok would get restored, because it would change it back into a gain.

Can you haunt a Cawh? You are not gaining control of it, you are playing it as if it is in your hand.

Yes, you may cast Haunt on a Cawh. In order for you to replay it however, you must manage to defeat it during your Play Creatures step, since that is the only time you can play it. If you defeat the Cawh while it has Haunt attached at any other time, the Haunt and Cawh are both discarded from play.

If my Dark Twins are defeated and I reveal Niffer choosing Weave as her second region, then play both Abwin's Quill and Ritual's Spear, can I use Abwin's Quill to change an instance of Weave to Core in Ritual's Spear and revive my Dark Twins since they are only alternate Hrada and I am returning only one Magi to play?

Yes, this combo can revive a dual magi. Dual Magi count as two magi only for deck construction purposes.

Is Weave Hyren's effect triggered when a weave creature "weaves" to him.

Yes; this was Weave Hyren's primary intended use in design.

If I have Yaki Core Stalker and Yaki Gauntlets, do I get Yaki Gauntlets as a starting card for Yaki Core Stalker?

Yes, any card that says Starting "This Magi" are available to all versions of that Magi.

How is the word "play" interpreted in Scyalla's Pet Project power, and does it refer to the act of actually playing a card or changing cards in your deck?

"Play" refers to the action of taking a card from an out-of-play area—such as your hand, deck, or discard pile—and putting it into the playing area. It does not mean that cards in your deck or hand are permanently changed. Instead, when you play a Creature of the chosen type, it becomes a Weave Creature only at the moment it is brought into play and remains so while in play. This timing means that effects like Marella's Starting Card ability do not trigger because retrieving starting cards does not count as "playing" a card.

The effects of some Nar cards that cause cards to be frozen say "Powers on frozen cards cost one additional energy to use." Do I have to pay 1 to use a Power that does not have an energy cost?

Yes, cards that have no numbered cost have a cost of zero. Zero plus one = one.

What if the Power does not have an energy cost, but something like discarding another card to use the Power, is that considered a cost, and then the one additional energy would apply?

If there is no numbered cost, the Power is considered to cost zero energy. See previous answer.

Can 'Ummm... No!' be used against spells like Syphon Vortex that cause a creature to lose all its energy and get discarded?

Yes, 'Ummm... No!' can be played in response to Syphon Vortex, but the creature will still be discarded because it has no energy remaining. The only difference is that the source of the discard changes, but the outcome remains the same.

My Zungg is frozen and has 1 energy. If I use Gnaw, will the 1 energy still be removed from the opposing creature even though Zungg dies and can't move it?

The energy will be lost from the opposing creature, but it will have no destination to end up at. Otherwise, the power proceeds normally.

If you have 2 Bograth creatures in play and use Emlob's 'Imaginary Friends' to increase your total to 5 Bograth creatures, would the imaginary creatures be considered core if one of your actual Bograth creatures is a Glablit?

No. Despite the new MRP'ed wording on Emlob, the imaginary creatures added by his ability are not considered real creatures and therefore cannot be Core Creatures. The Glablit's effect states that 'All your Bograth Creatures in play are also core,' but since the imaginary creatures do not exist, they do not count as Bograth Creatures in play and thus are not core.

If I play with Yaki Core Stalker first, then Sorrowing Ogar second, and Niffer last, can Niffer choose to be Core, or is the choice of choosing Core removed with the previous two magi?

Yes. The deck must only be legal when it is built for both Yaki and Ogar's restriction.

If I have Sorrowing Ogar in play, and the opponent reveals Ashio, whose 'Weave Twist' changes Ogar's text to 'may not be played in a deck with any Underneath magi,' does the opponent lose, or is Ogar defeated? If not, then is the opponent now cheating if any other magi in their stack is an Underneath magi? What is the timing of Ogar's text?

Ogar's text only counts towards deck construction. If the deck is legal before the game starts, violating the text on Ogar or Yaki does not cause anything to happen.

You have a Rock Silth and Magam's Ring in play during your opponent's turn. Your opponent attempts to Shockwave your Rock Silth. Can you move up to Rock Silth's Starting Energy to your Magi due to the wording of Hide, and then use Magam's Ring to restore the Rock Silth back up to its Starting Energy since it is still being discarded?

Yes, you may legally do that.

In a multiplayer game, if player A has a creature haunted by player B's Haunt spell, and then player C uses Crushing Darkness to crush player A's creature, does player C gain control of the creature and restore it to half its starting energy rounded up, followed by player B gaining control and restoring it to full energy? Or does the reverse happen, with player B gaining control first and restoring it to full, then player C getting control at full energy?

The Haunt spell will cause the creature to enter play under Player B's control instead of going to the discard pile; because Crushing Darkness did not discard the creature (Haunt prevented it from being discarded, technically), its secondary effect does not trigger.

Hi, recently my friend and I were playing a game where he had two Vraks in play and one other 3 energy creature. I killed the 3 energy creature, leaving the two Vraks. My question is, are both Vraks discarded because of its effect? It states that if Vrak is the only Nar creature in play then its discarded. Technically, since there are 2 Vraks in play, it IS the only Nar creature in play, so are they discarded?

By stating Vrak, it is self referential. In other words, two Vraks are two separate Nar Creatures, and neither will be discarded from the Effect. If multiple Vraks were to all be discarded, the Effect would have to read "If Vrak is your only non-Vrak Nar Creature in play, discard it."

If Sand Strands is used to make an Olum Digger Illusionary, will OD's Tunnel still allow the OD to attack the magi?

No; the inability to attack Magi is a specific mechanical restriction, while the Tunnel effect is more generalized; just as a Burrowed Creature does not gain the ability to attack if it already lacked it when chosen by the Spell Tunnel, the Digger's Tunnel Effect does not beat the Illusionary restriction.

Can Horizon's Mirage be attached to a creature with Mohani's Imbue Spell? (Horizon's Mirage is discarded to make it work.)

Yes, because Imbue-ing a Spell does not require you to play it. Note that the first time you use the Power, the Spell card will be removed from the Creature it was Imbued onto, and you will no longer be able to use it as an Imbued Power.

Does Laranel's Cold Shoulder protect her Creatures against Powers and/or Spells that choose more than 1 Creature? How about something that chooses Laranel and one of her Creatures?

As long as there is a choice involved, her Effect will interfere.

I have a Sunglare Celphet out in play. Effect - Reflect: As an opposing Spell or Power removes energy from one of your Creatures, you may discard Sunglare Celphet from play to choose a Creature or Magi. Discard an equal amount of energy from the chosen card. My opponent plays a Crushing spell on it. Can I discard the Celphet to choose my opponent's magi and make him lose 4 energy? Does this also prevent the secondary effects of the Crushing spell? If I have 3 Celphets out, can I use all of their effects to choose 2 of his creatures and his magi, or any combination thereof.

Yes, you may; at the time the effect is triggered, the energy has not yet been removed, only assigned to be removed. This would also prevent the Crushing Spell's secondary effect from happening, because the spell did not discard the creature. You may also choose any combination of valid targets in play.

I play a Haunt on my opponent's Lesser Darbok. I then attack with one of my creatures that has more energy than Lesser Darbok. What takes precedence, the Haunt or Lesser Darbok's effect that attaches it to the attacking creature based on the rule of order of effects?

Both resolve normally; being the active player, your Haunt resolves and you play the Darbok, then the Darbok is attached to the Creature that defeated it (defeat effects do not require the Creature to reach the discard pile, only that it be reduced to zero energy), and all other stipulations for Tangle apply, meaning your Creature cannot attack as long as the Darbok is attached, and the Darbok cannot be affected by other cards or be discarded from play for having zero energy. The opponent can still erase this protection by removing the attached Creature from play. Also, to put this to rest before it can get out of hand, a touch-up to the recent Lesser Darbok clarification: Effect - Tangle: If Lesser Darbok is defeated while defending, attach Lesser Darbok to the attacking Creature. While Lesser Darbok is attached, it cannot be involved in an attack, other cards cannot affect it, and it cannot be discarded from play for having zero energy. The Creature it is attached to cannot attack.

If Barak's Ring is out, will a Brushfire stop its effect from going off?

No; Purity does not require that the Spells be Cald-only, just that they be Cald at all.

If Orlon's Ring is in play, would it cause the player to discard his dual Orothe/REGION card from play, such as Hurricane Orish or Iceberg Hyren?

No; a card in play has to be completely non-Orothe to be discarded; dual-region cards will make the cut.

Can a Sunglare Celphet reflect mass damage spells like Wildfire and Flamegeyser, given the wording 'when energy is removed from one of your creatures' as opposed to using the word -Only-?

You may mirror the removal from the mass removal, but only to and from a single source, i.e., if a Flame Geyser were played and affected three of your Creatures and your Magi, you could only choose the removal from one of your cards (3E) and apply it to an opposing card.

When you use Undertow, after the energy has been removed from the targeted creature, does the creature technically hit the discard pile first and then get placed into the opponent's deck?

Yes.

Can Arderian-Wings be used on your creatures when they are using a power, for example Xyx Minor's Gathering Clouds, to reduce the power cost by two so you pay nothing for it, or is it only effective on opponent's spells and powers?

No; paying energy for a cost is not removal.

Does Speag's effect, Watch, trigger even when it gets attacked, or only when your other creatures get attacked?

Yes, it will receive two energy even when it's attacked.

Can anything bypass Tranquility's protection?

Yes; Tranquility is a reduction effect, meaning that, for instance, Rayje's Sword can pierce it. This is because Tranquility does not affect energy loss until after it has been assigned, then changes the amount to be discarded to zero. Prevention, on the other hand, does not even allow energy loss to be assigned (the Effect - Resistance is a common example). Tranquility states that cards that 'all Spells, Powers, and Effects that discard energy instead discard no energy', so the loss is still assigned in the form of removal, then is reduced to zero before it becomes actual energy discard.

If I have creatures in play with a Crystallise attached to it, what happens when I activate the Protection power of Shadow Cloak?

None of the options are correct; nothing happens to the Crystallise, but Protection allows the creature to ignore the effects of the spell until the end of the player's next turn.

Does the effect Starfire affect only the starting cards that are revealed, or all starting cards including those chosen like 'any one spell' for magi such as Qullia and Scyalla?

All card effects that mention Starting Cards, such as the effect Starfire or the spell Redream, will only affect named cards printed on the Magi, or cards with "Starting: Magi" printed on the cards. They will never affect chosen starting cards such as "any one spell."

If my opponent plays Ambush or any other spell that discards energy, can I use Vogo's interrupt to switch the target of the spell from Rock Hyren to Vogo or another creature?

Yes; Vogo's effect Interrupt activates "whenever an opposing Spell or Power CHOOSES only one of your other Creatures in play," which is well before the Spell or Power resolves, and therefore well before any energy loss is allocated.

If one of my creatures is burrowed, and I have a card that says "Burrowed creatures can attack normally", when I attack, do I take energy off the defending creature equal to my energy and take 2 energy off me, or do I take off 2 energy from both creatures?

A burrowed Creature, when in an attack, will remove energy equal to its current energy, and will lose no more than two energy from the opposing Creature (possibly less if the burrowed Creature has already lost energy that turn from opposing cards).

If one of my creatures takes more damage than others due to multiple Sunburns or other effects, can the controller of a Sunglare Celphet choose that creature as the target for energy removal reflection when the Celphet is discarded in response to mass removal?

Yes, you may choose any one of your creatures to reflect energy removal from.

What does 'frozen' mean in the game when using D'resh and Nar decks?

"Frozen" is a status that is inflicted by certain Nar cards such as Essence of Frost, Yaromant, and Zyavu. These cards generally have the "Arctic" descriptor in their title under their name, and often freeze all of one category of card (such as All Creatures). While a card is frozen, all Powers on that card cost one additional energy to use. If a Magi is frozen, in addition to their Powers costing one more, Spells cost the frozen Magi one additional energy to play. The effects of being Frozen are always listed in the un-named Effect on the card which inflicts the Frozen status. See Essence of Frost for an example of an Arctic card.

In a scenario where Player A's Yark (5 Energy) attacks Player B's Speag (4 Energy, 2 above starting), with Speag having Watch & Weave, Rehyla-Magi’s Counter-Weave ability, and Yark having Diving Attack, in what order do the abilities resolve, how much energy does each creature have when combat starts, and who wins?

First, all effects that trigger when Speag is attacked are evaluated. Since they share the same trigger, the active player (Player A) resolves their effect first: Yark's Diving Attack reduces Speag to 2 Energy. Then, Player B (defending player) chooses the order to resolve their effects: Counter-Weave, Watch, and Weave. Assuming Weave is not used, Watch adds 2 Energy to Speag and Counter-Weave adds 1 Energy to Speag, bringing it to 5 Energy total. Counter-Weave also reduces Yark by 1 Energy (to 4). During combat resolution, Speag loses 4 Energy (from the fight), leaving it at 1 Energy, while Yark loses 5 Energy and is discarded due to exceeding its energy capacity. Therefore, Speag survives with 1 Energy, and Player B wins.

How does invulnerability work in combat? Specifically, what happens when a 5 energy creature with invulnerability attacks a 6 energy creature with no invulnerability, and vice versa?

It's just like a normal attack, except that you subtract the Invulnerability (usually loses one less energy) from the amount of energy the invulnerable creature loses. If a 5e creature with Invulnerability of 1 attacks a normal 5e creature, both will try to remove 5e, but the invulnerable creature will only end up losing 4e (5 inflicted minus the one from Invulnerability), surviving with 1e, while the normal creature will lose the full 5e and be discarded.

Does the regional penalty count toward the spell's cost when using Maelstrom Flask, and is it applied before or after the 50% discount?

Yes, the regional penalty is calculated into the spell's cost and is added in before the cost is halved.

When playing a spell with optional extra costs (like Tidal Wave or Resonate), are those additional costs paid before or after the Maelstrom Flask discount?

The extra energy is paid after the spell is successfully played, meaning after the 50% discount has been applied.

Can I use Maelstrom Flask to play Core spells or spells restricted to magi of a specific region?

Only if your Magi could already legally play those cards without assistance.

If an opponent plays a creature with multiple regions, and one of them matches the Bograth Magi's region (Eryss), does Eryss's Discordia effect trigger? For example, if a Paradwyn player uses a Mydra (Bograth/Paradwyn) on Eryss’s turn, does it count as a non-Bograth creature for Discordia purposes?

The Magi is named Eryss, and the effect is Discordia. Discordia will not trigger unless the Creature shares NO regions with the Magi; therefore, if a Paradwyn player plays a Mydra (Bograth/Paradwyn), it is treated as a Paradwyn creature played by a Paradwyn Magi in this case, so Discordia does not trigger.

Are ongoing effects considered 'effects' for the purposes of cards that cancel, alter, or are triggered by effects?

An ongoing effect is simply a card effect that persists beyond the life of the card; while generally unrelated to other types of effects, it is possible for an effect to create an ongoing effect (such as a triggered effect requiring actions at the beginning of a turn, which resolves based on compliance even if the card is discarded).

In a 3-player game with Andy (Nar), Tony (d'Resh), and Sean (Core), Sean plays Haunt on a Sand Hyren. Andy then plays Shockwave to discard the Hyren. Can Tony play Forgotten Songs to save his Hyren, or does Haunt trigger first?

The Haunt triggers first because it states 'When that Creature is discarded, play it INSTEAD,' which activates as the creature is being discarded. Forgotten Songs allows you to put a creature into your hand instead of the discard pile when one of your creatures is being discarded by another card. Since Haunt affects the creature during the discard process and occurs before Forgotten Songs can act on the discarded card, Haunt resolves first and prevents Forgotten Songs from being played.

Player A is playing Adis. But during Player B's turn Adis is defeated. Here's the tricky part: Player B would like to use the unnamed effect on Abraxim's Crown to protect himself from Adis' Haunt Effect. But Player A wants to play a Spirit of Arderial. How is the timing here? Can Player A play the Spirit, or is it discarded because of the Crown?

The Spirit is discarded because of the Crown. All defeat effects on a Magi (along with any effects they trigger) will resolve before a regional Spirit card is playable (with the notable exception of Spirit of Rayje, which is played to prevent Magi defeat).

Player A is playing Adis. But during Player B's turn Adis is defeated. Here's the tricky part: Player B would like to use the unnamed effect on Abraxim's Crown to protect himself from Adis' Haunt Effect. But Player A wants to play a Spirit of Arderial. How is the timing here? Can Player A play the Spirit, or is it discarded because of the Crown? If Player A could play the Spirit, could Player B use the Crown or would it be returned to the deck because of the Spirit? Can the Crown prevent the Spirit? It does not literally discards the cards.

The Spirit of Arderial shuffles cards into the deck, it does not cause any discards from the opponent. The Crown would be reshuffled.

If I have a Grakaden, can I choose which spell to cancel when using its 'once per turn' ability, or do I have to use it on the first spell cast against me?

Yes; since the effect says "may", you may choose to activate the effect on any spell that you wish (assuming you aren't trying to cancel a spell that can't be canceled).

My opponent has Everburning Wick in play with a lot of other cards. I play a Cataclysm. Wick's "Short Fuse" says: As one of your cards is discarded from play by an opposing card, discard one energy from the opposing card's Magi. Does Short Fuse work against a Cataclysm?

No; by the time Short Fuse would be triggered, there is no Everburning Wick in play to trigger.

I am confused about the whole "as" v. "when" thing. Short Fuse says "one" of your cards. Does it also mean "one or more"? Does Cataclysm discard everything at once or does it discard one card at a time?

Short Fuse will be triggered for each single instance of your card being discarded under the proper conditions, so if a Beam of Light discards two of your other Relics, Short Fuse would discard two energy from the opposing Magi. Cataclysm discards all non-Magi cards simultaneously.

If Short Fuse is triggered multiple times against Caty, can I use a Climbing Staff to block the Magi damage from each instance?

Climbing Staff may be used to stop the energy loss from Short Fuse, but only one instance of it; if Short Fuse was triggered seven times and you used the Staff in response, you would still lose a total of six energy from the remaining instances of the Effect.

Does Rayje's Boots prevent an Arderial Magi from playing a dual-region Arderial creature?

Rayje's Boots prevent non-Universal Magi from playing non-Universal creatures that aren't of the Magi's Region. Check if one of the played Creature's regions matches the Magi's region; if it does, the creature can be played.

I had this question come up while playing last night: I was playing Harror (not the Nightstalker) and played a Staff of Keepers and chose Naroom. Now the staff says that you ignore regional penalties but not restrictions. So is the Staff of Keepers useless for Core Magi? If not, how does it work for them?

Staff of Keepers does not negate regional restrictions. Its usefulness with Core Magi is pretty much limited to allowing Shadow Magi to play the Non-Core cards that they are allowed to play without having to pay regional penalties.

Can Climbing Staff be discarded from my hand to block my opponent from looking at my hand when they use Hand of the Sky?

Yes; this interruption of the effect negates it in its entirety, because there cannot be a Spell chosen if the opponent cannot look.

If I let my opponent look at my hand with Hand of the Sky and they want to use one of my spells, can I then use Climbing Staff to stop them?

Yes, because choosing and playing a Spell from your hand affects your hand separately from it being revealed.

If my opponent defeats my Magi and uses Hand of the Sky on me, can I still discard Climbing Staff from my hand to block hand destruction?

Yes.

After my Magi is defeated, if my opponent uses Hand of the Sky and I have no way to block it, can they use Beam of Light without targeting anything since it says "up to"?

In this instance, the option of zero is in the range of "up to two", so the opponent has the option to choose nothing.

Does Abraxin's Crown offer protection against Hand of the Sky?

Correct. Abraxin's Crown's game text is only triggered when a card is discarded directly from your hand to the discard pile; in playing the Spell, however, it enters play briefly before being discarded.

One of your Orothe Creatures had a Crystalize played on it during your opponent's last turn. You happen to have the Spell card Shell in hand. Based on the ruling found in Rules Digest 6/27/2003, can it be concluded if you were to play Shell on your Orothe Creature afflicted by Crystalize prior to your Attack step, you may then attack with that Orothe Creature? If not, please explain the difference between this situation and the one presented in Rules Digest 6/27/2003.

If you play the Shell on the creature, the Crystallize no longer affects the creature, and should go to the discard pile.

Q. Agram's Staff

Agram's Staff does not change the region of a card at all; it changes the ruleset you use for playing certain cards. The Dark Twins and Cleansing are missing from this list. The wording of the effect that causes the change of region determines whether one or both regions are replaced; for example, Cleansing states "the card becomes the chosen region instead of Core," so a dual Bograth/Core card would become a dual Bograth/Underneath or Kybar's Teeth card. Similarly, the Dark Twins would make a Naroom/Core Magi Naroom Shadow only, while Nagsis would make that same Magi Naroom Shadow/Cald Shadow.

Q. I had my Mosp out, protecting my Agrilla/Baldar combo. My friend played a Rayje's Cloak. Does this mean that he can directly attack the Agrilla or Baldar?

Yes; Rayje's Cloak's Effect removes all attack restrictions on Creatures in play, and so a Creature that normally could not be attacked by an opponent's effect may now be chosen.

If a Sandsifter and several Bone Grags are in play, and I cast Cataclysm, does the Sandsifter sacrificing a Bone Grag prevent the full effect of Cataclysm? One person claims it does due to timing, while another says the Sandsifter's ability doesn't apply because Cataclysm states opposing cards don't affect it. Who is correct?

Cataclysm can only be prevented from being played by effects that stop it from being cast or resolved entirely. The 'Opposing cards do not affect Cataclysm' clause applies only to effects that would alter or counter the spell after it's been played. Sandsifter's ability does not prevent Cataclysm from being played, so it still resolves fully. Since Sandsifter is discarded as part of Cataclysm's effect (which occurs before the spell begins resolving), you may discard one of your Oracles, and the Sandsifter will remain in play while all other non-Magi cards are discarded. You can apply this for any number of Sandsifters you control.

If you have 2 or 3 Corathan Effect - Betrayal creatures in play, can you take control of 2 or 3 opposing cards and retrieve 2 or 3 cards from your discard pile?

Yes, for each Corathan you have in play you may retrieve a card from your discard for each unique theft of an item, up to once per turn per Corathan.

Morag's Gift: Can you use a controlled creature for this? Like one that was turned, or Corrupted?

Yes; as with Twee, the Creature enters your hand very briefly, and then being out of play, it returns to the relevant out of play area of its owner.

If there is 1 Sandsifter and 1 Crystal Vision (an Oracle) on the field, and I play Cataclysm, would Cataclysm discard both the Sandsifter and the Crystal Vision, or could the Sandsifter prevent Cataclysm from affecting it by discarding the Crystal Vision?

Yes, Sandsifter's effect can protect it from a Cataclysm.

If a card (e.g. Agram's Staff, Corrupt, Entomb, Hrada, Nagsis, Scyalla, Yog) states "original region", i.e. singular, is only one region of a dual region card affected?

All cards that pertain to "original region" can be read as "original region(s)."

When is the last chance that an opponent can use Climbing Staff if I use Hand of the Sky?

Climbing Staff can be used either to prevent your opponent from looking in your hand, or as they select a spell to play. It cannot be used after costs have been paid for the spell.

If I use Hand of the Sky to play a Crushing Heat from my opponent's hand, will it prevent them from using Abraxin's Crown from their hand after a Storm of Fishes discards one of their creatures?

Crushing Heat stops Powers and Effects. Unlike Climbing Staff, the Crown's protective text is not an Effect, and is therefore unaffected by Crushing Heat.

Does Volcano Hyren's power add an imaginary, additional text to the next Cald Spell played?

No, Volcano Hyren's power text stays right where it is. However, the power text does modify the effect of the spell, as it says.

If so, are the bonuses it gives affected in any way by conditions of the spell itself? For example, if I use Conflagration and then play a Lava Flow, does it deal an unpreventable 3e to one creature and also unpreventable 1e to the other creatures?

The "additional energy" removed due to Conflagration has the same traits as the spell that it is modifying.

Also, does Valkan increase the 1e "spread" damage done by the "boosted" spell?

Yes, Pyromancy (from either Valkan or Scroll of Fire) will further modify the "spread" energy removed.

Does Bograth Shifty's ability to lose no energy from opposing effects include enemy attacks?

No, Shifty only works on Effects (capital E).

When triggering the Stalker Boots power, do you have to pay 1e for Laranel's Cold Shoulder ability?

Stalker's Boots Power is used during the first PSR and affects all attacked creatures. It does not choose a target, so Laranel's Cold Shoulder will not trigger.

When a Chaos Plith defeats a creature in an attack and has defeated itself as well, does its effect still process to draw a card, or does it have to survive the attack?

It has to survive the attack to use its effect.

When using Crushing Darkness to play an opponent's creature, does it trigger the effect on Corathan and similar cards? If yes, would Severos work just the same?

No, neither Crushing Darkness nor Severos 'steals' a creature, they both play the creature after it is discarded.

When the 'Horrible Dreams' effect of Nightmare Hyren triggers at the beginning of your turn and removes the last of your Magi's energy from the board, is your Magi defeated before energizing? If yes, does the turn end or are you allowed to flip your next Magi?

Yes, in this odd situation your Magi would be defeated before energizing, as the Energize Step happens after the beginning of turn. This is implied on page 19 of the VotS rulebook and covered again on page 25. In this case, as normal when your Magi dies on your own turn, you do not reveal a new Magi until your following turn.

Is Storm of Fishes 'staffable' in any circumstance?

Yes; if the Storm of Fishes is the last card the opponent plays, then they have no cards in hand for the Storm to affect. This means that the Storm is now only affecting your hand, and so you may negate it with the Climbing Staff.

Can damaging effects from creatures that enter play (like Koil, Shadow Hyren, Bulabantu, etc.) discard a Wellisk or Phrup from play before they can pop to discard/cancel the creature being played?

No; Phrup would trigger first (As timing), then Wellisk (Immediately After timing), and finally Koil/Bulabantu (When timing). To refresh everyone's memory: As - When the card is revealed or event declared, after all costs are played, but before a card resolves/enters play. When/Whenever - After the card or event in question has resolved. Immediately after - Same as When/Whenever, but before anything else can happen, even other 'immediately after' effects.

There was some kind of ruling limiting the use of the construct's robe of ages effect so that it no longer stacks. What is the official ruling and how does it affect other multiple cost reducing effects in play at once (robes, Ythra, Construct, Arderial Shadow Geyser, Tempest Hyren, etc.)?

Cost reduction effects can stack, but the cost cannot be reduced to less than the highest minimum stated among them.

If your opponent is on Sorreah and you reveal Bria, can you get a Climbing Staff as one of her starting cards and use it to stop Sorreah's effect soon enough to be able to choose a region for Bria's reveal triggered effect?

No; Bria's Effect would trigger and resolve before you would retrieve starting cards.

Does 'as you play' in effects like 'as you play X card increase or decrease starting energy by up to X2 until Y' mean when you play the card from your hand, or when you use a creature's power or attack?

Just like it sounds, 'as you play' means as you are moving the card from an out-of-play area (hand, deck, discard pile) into play (normally this will be during your Play Creatures step).

Climbing Staff vs Orothe Shadow Geyser: If I played a Core relic and my opponent plays a Climbing Staff, would the Climbing Staff interrupt for one use or the entire spell forever?

The Climbing Staff affects the Geyser in such a way that 'the spell does nothing.' The Geyser is plugged indefinitely. However, you may only use the Staff if you don't have any Orothe or Universal Relics in play, because the Geyser is always affecting them as well.

Can the three leaf clover be discarded to nullify Trug's Cataclysm?

Yes, Lotta Lucky can prevent your cards from being affected by Trug's Cataclysm. It does not "nullify" precisely, since the Cataclysm will still affect all other magi's cards.

Explain the issues with current timing effects and how does the timing effects on Furok, Orok, Dark Furok, Mowat, and Drought work?

The following cards need a transitional clarification to their wordings: Furok: Effect - Retrieve: As a defending Creature removes energy from Furok, place half that energy, rounded up, back on your Magi. Orok: Effect - Undermine: As Orok loses energy in an attack, choose any one Magi in play. Discard half as much energy as Orok loses from the chosen Magi, rounded down. Dark Furok: Effect - Revile: As Dark Furok attacks and loses energy, discard half that amount of energy, rounded down, from any one Creature in play. Mowat: Effect - Prickly: As an opposing Creature removes energy from Mowat, remove one energy from that Creature. Drought: there seems to have been some confusion over the effect of Drought's wording; for the sake of ease, its text may be treated as saying 'The next time each player energizes, none of that player's cards gains energy from energizing.'

Given the wording of Scroll of Fire, does a spell or power need to physically discard an energy before Pyromancy takes effect? If effects like Arderian Guard Wings, Weave Hut, or Stumbling Junjertrug reduce the discard to zero, would Scroll of Fire still take effect?

Arderian Guard Wings and Scroll of Fire have the same trigger: 'when discards energy from '. The active player's effect resolves first, typically the player with Scroll of Fire. Scroll of Fire adds one additional energy to the amount discarded by the spell, and then Arderian Guard Wings reduces that total by two.

Does Drought prevent the flipped Magi from energizing?

Drought negates the next Energize 'action' performed by each player on their cards in play at the time the action takes place, not the cards that are in play at the time of Drought's casting. An Energize 'action' happens for a player when they must Energize all of their cards in play that can be Energized, meaning either 1-Energize step or 2-Flood of Energy. So even if a Magi plays Drought on their first turn before the opponent even reveals a Magi, the opponent's Magi will not Energize on their next turn; similarly, if that Magi flips and defeats the Magi that cast Drought, the Drought player's next Magi will still not get to Energize when they flip.

When a creature is placed under Gia's Tome instead of in the discard pile, does this trigger the Short Fuse effect on Everburning Wick?

The Keywords here are "instead of in the discard pile" on Gia's Tome. The defeated creature is never actually discarded, and so would not trigger Short Fuse.

Can the three-leaf clover be discarded prior to being "shut off" by Crushing Heat to prevent the spell's secondary effect from working, even though the spell is affecting the Magi and the relics are being shut off simultaneously?

Crushing Heat affects the Magi after the Creature is discarded from play, at which time you may use Clover's Effect (which, due to its ability to make your cards unaffected, should be treated like an 'as' effect). You do not get your creature back since it was discarded before Crushing Heat affected your Magi.

Will the three-leaf clover counter multi-targeting powers/spells/effects such as Core Grag, Deep Hyren, Nalo, Wildfire, and Vaporize?

Clover will counter multi-targeting Powers and Spells (not Effects!) as long as that Power or Spell affects the Magi; Wildfire does not affect the Magi.

When discarding a card for the Lens of Truth's power that is less than the starting energy of an illusion in your hand but greater than the illusion's cost after being reduced by its illusionary effect, could you process the illusionary effect first before checking for casting costs within the Lens of Truth's reduction range, thus reducing the illusion's cost by an additional 2 energy? Specifically, if I discard a Bulabantu with the Lens, would a Xala cost a total of 2 or 4?

Xala will cost two, because Lens specifies "energy cost" rather than the more standard "printed cost", which means it will take into account all modifiers to the 'cost to play' value before kicking in. It isn't an Effect, it's a duration Power, so it goes last in the chain.

Does Flame Plate Armor prevent a Cald Magi from paying one extra energy when choosing Laranel or any of her creatures for a Spell or Power?

See the 10/23/02 digest for the definition of Costs. Laranel's Effect adds a one-energy cost to the act of choosing, and this cost is not preventable with Flame Plate Armor or its ilk.

Does Rayje's Sword pierce through Climbing Staff?

Rayje's Sword does not cut through Climbing Staff, or through any other effect that says 'instead does nothing.'

If the rule book states that your magi may start with 'any' or 'all' of their starting cards, does this mean a player can choose to start with only one of Scyalla's two different non-Hyren creatures, even if she goes first in the magi stack? And if she were placed second or third and there are no two creatures in your discard or deck that share a type, would you still be able to grab only one creature?

Scyalla can indeed grab only one Creature, as long as it is a non-Hyren creature. The restriction that the second Creature must be a different creature of the same type applies only when selecting a second Creature. Just as Sorreah and Tony can grab any Arderial Spell or Creature respectively, but must choose from one in the discard if any exist, Scyalla's first non-Hyren Creature must come from the discard.

My opponent has a 10e burrowed creature. I play Lava Flow and target the 10e burrowed creature. It loses 2e to 8e. I play a second Lava Flow - what happens then and why?

Lava Flow ignores the energy loss cap set by Burrow. If you play a Lava Flow after a burrowed creature has already lost its two energy for the round, the Lava Flow will still discard two Energy from the Burrowed Creature. Note, however, that Lava Flow only ignores Burrow's cap if the cap is already in place. If you first play the Lava Flow then play other Spells that discard energy from the Burrowed creature, the energy loss of the other Spells will still be capped by Burrow.

Can I still use Yaw's power to return it to my hand if I choose not to restore a frozen creature afterwards, or does the restoration part tie into the power's cost?

Yes, you may; the only cost in activation of the Power is returning Yaw to hand; its energy is lost.

If Galiant (Arderial Dream Creature) uses its power and your player has two or more creatures with the same energy, do both gain the energy?

No; if you cannot choose which creature will gain the energy in case of a tie, then because no single creature can be affected legally, none are.

When playing Sunburn while Amulet of Sand is active, which effect resolves first: the discard from Amulet of Sand or Sunburn's additional energy loss?

Sunburn attaches first because 'when' triggers resolve after all their conditions are met, meaning the creature with Sunburn will lose an additional two energy after the one discarded by Amulet of Sand.

If opposing cards (3 Fireballs) remove energy from one of my Baby Furoks with a Lightning Sand effect with Zannah as my Magi (No effects or spells are disabled in any way), would the stopping effects stop the Fireball? 2 Fireballs? 3 Fire Balls? Which one would happen?

The first Fireball will trigger all three prevention effects, and the remaining Fireballs remove their energy normally.

If I played a Wasperine (the effect way) and attacked a Sandstone Hyren (with Woot! as my Magi), which would work: the Weebos for Wimps effect or the Super Invincibility effect?

The Wasperine would remove its normal amount; the Super Invulnerability would not reduce this.

If my opponent's Magi is Dey (Balance - if you have fewer creatures in play than any opponent, each opposing creature costs 2 additional energy to play) in play, and mine is Blygt', when I use 'Waking Dreams' (pre-supposing that I already have more creatures in play), do they then cost the extra 2 energy each?

No; Waking Dreams allows you to play creatures ignoring all costs, including those imposed by Balance.

Can Empress Gia start with both Gia's Tome and Nagsis' Sigil as Starting cards?

Yes, Empress Gia can start with both Gia's Tome and Nagsis' Sigil as Starting cards because she is an alternate of both Gia and Nagsis, and these cards have STARTING: Gia (Tome) and STARTING: Nagsis (Sigil) printed on them respectively.

Can Empress Gia also start with Weave Powder as a Starting card?

Yes, because Empress Gia is a Core/Weave Magi (noting the Weave part), she can get Weave Powder as a Starting card, which has STARTING: Any Weave Magi printed on it.

Does making a Power or Effect do nothing mean the Power or Effect is unable to be used?

No, making a Power or Effect do nothing is not the same as being unable to use it; for example, an opponent's Cloak negates the effect of the Lesser Darbok's ability to avoid attacks, but your own Cloak does not interact with that situation at all.

Can the Lesser Darbok still be attacked if an opposing Cloak is in play?

Yes, the Lesser Darbok can still be attacked because the opposing Cloak negates its effect of avoiding attack, while your Cloak has no interaction with this scenario.

If I use Lesser Darbok to prevent my creature from being attacked, and my opponent plays Rayjes Cloak to counter that effect, but then I play my own Rayjes Cloak that says 'Opposing cards do not prevent your cards from using their powers and effects,' what happens? Does the order of playing matter?

The second Rayjes Cloak you played overrides the first one because it specifically prevents opposing cards from stopping your abilities. The order in which the cards were played does not matter—what matters is that your own Rayjes Cloak negates the effect of the opponent's card, so your creature remains protected from being attacked.

In a game scenario where Core plays Haunt on KT's Granite Parmalag while it has Warrior's Boots and Emec's Forge in play, can KT player use Emec's Forge to discard a relic and prevent Haunt from triggering its possession effect?

Yes, the KT player may use Emec's Forge to discard a relic and prevent Haunt from taking control of the Granite Parmalag. Although Haunt's effect triggers when the creature is dealt fatal damage, all effects that would alter this outcome resolve simultaneously, and the defending player (KT) chooses the order in which they resolve. Therefore, KT can choose to resolve Emec's Forge first—discarding a relic to prevent the 'discarded' condition of Haunt—before Haunt's possession effect resolves, effectively saving the creature.

In a game between an Orothe player and a Nar player, the Orothe player had Karse out and used Maelstrom Flask's Power Uncork to reveal Tidal Wave. The Nar player had Essence of Frost in play, freezing everything. How much energy should the Orothe player have paid for Tidal Wave, considering the cost reduction from Maelstrom Flask, Karse's Effect Fury, and the freeze penalty?

The Orothe player was correct; they should have paid 2e. The calculation is as follows: Tidal Wave has a base cost of 6e. The freeze penalty adds 1e, bringing the total to 7e. This triggers Karse's Effect Fury, reducing the cost by 3e (7e - 3e = 4e). Then, Maelstrom Flask reduces the remaining cost by half (4e / 2 = 2e). The Nar player's calculation is incorrect because they applied the Flask reduction before considering Fury, which must be evaluated after the total cost—including penalties—is determined.

Can the granted Power of Spark (1) from multiple Ergars stack so that it becomes Spark 2, 3, or higher depending on how many Ergars are in play?

No, the granted Power of Spark (1) does not stack. Each Egar's ability grants Spark (1) individually, but the total Power value is capped at Spark (1) regardless of how many Ergars are in play.

Does Swamp Hyren's effect, "Nightmare Gate", stack if you have multiple Swamp Hyrens or Warrada's Ring? Neither Swamp Hyren nor Warrada's Ring say "additional", simply that they cost one less to play.

Yes, the effects of multiple Swamp Hyrens and Warrada's Ring do stack. Each instance of a card that reduces the cost to play by 1 creates an ongoing effect that applies independently, so having more than one such card results in cumulative cost reduction.

What happens when Beam of Light is used to destroy Crystalize? Would you draw a card or not?

When Beam of Light destroys Crystalize, you do not draw a card because Crystalize's effect only triggers when it is destroyed by a spell or power that causes damage, and Beam of Light does not cause damage—it destroys the card directly.

What happens when Beam of Light is used to destroy Grim Goblet? Would you discard your hand or not?

When Beam of Light destroys Grim Goblet, you do not discard your hand because Grim Goblet's effect only triggers if it is destroyed by a spell or power that causes damage; Beam of Light does not cause damage and therefore does not trigger the discard effect.

What happens when Beam of Light is used to destroy Frusk? Would you draw a card or not?

When Beam of Light destroys Frusk, you do not draw a card because Frusk's ability only triggers if it is destroyed by a spell or power that causes damage; since Beam of Light does not cause damage, the effect does not trigger.

What is the difference between a triggered response and an ongoing effect?

A triggered response occurs when a specific event happens (such as a creature being destroyed or energy being added), causing an immediate effect to happen at that time. An ongoing effect remains active as long as certain conditions are met, such as a card staying in play with continuous abilities like "gains 1 energy whenever another creature gains energy."

When Hrada uses his power on Yaki, Core Stalker, can Yaki still play Core cards?

Yes, Yaki can still play Core cards. Although he becomes a Naroom Shadow Magi and is affected by the penalties of Tainted Touch, his ability to play Naroom cards without penalty or with a two-point penalty allows him to ignore the effects of Tainted Touch when playing those cards, including Core cards.

When Hrada uses his power on Yaki, Core Stalker, does Yaki need to pay the penalty for Naroom cards?

No, Yaki does not need to pay the penalty for Naroom cards. His ability allows him to play Naroom cards without penalty or with a two-point regional penalty, meaning he can choose to ignore the additional penalties from Tainted Touch when playing them.

Can Forest Hyren gain extra energy from Underbrush if it is restored by Weebo, even though Weebo does not add energy?

No, Forest Hyren cannot gain extra energy from Underbrush in this case. The effect triggers only when a spell or power adds energy to Forest Hyren; restoring energy via Weebo’s ability does not count as "adding" energy and therefore does not trigger Underbrush.

If Trask gains energy each time another creature gains energy, can it gain energy when Rous (or Zung) uses their power to move one energy from another creature to Rous?

Yes, Trask can gain energy in this case. Moving energy counts as a spell or power giving energy to a creature; since Rous is gaining energy through the transfer, Trask’s effect triggers and it gains 1 energy.

If I have just defeated the enemy Magi, what happens when I play Furok Protector? Does it come into play with 0E, or is it unplayable at that time?

Furok Protector comes into play with energy equal to the opposing Magi's Energize rate. Since you’ve just defeated the enemy Magi, their Energize rate applies when Furok Protector enters play; therefore, it does not come in with 0E and is fully playable.

Is Dark Cragnoc able to cremate a creature of greater energy than itself?

No, Dark Cragnoc cannot cremate a creature that has more energy than he possesses. The energy discard required by the Cremate power is a cost; if Dark Cragnoc does not have enough energy to pay that cost, the power fails and cannot be used.

Does burrow prevent all damage or only up to 2 energy loss per turn?

Burrow prevents up to 2 total energy loss per turn from Spells, Powers, and Attacks. It does not prevent energy loss from Effects (like those that trigger on destruction), nor does it prevent direct removal effects such as Shockwave or Alaban.

Does the Shifty Effect allow a Creature to ignore the extra damage from a Scroll of Fire or a Granas' Pummel Effect?

No, the Shifty Effect does not allow a Creature to ignore the extra damage from a Scroll of Fire or Granas' Pummel Effect. The Shifty Effect only prevents a Creature from losing energy due to opposing Effects, but it does not negate additional effects that cause energy loss, such as the extra energy discard from Scroll of Fire or the additional energy removal from Granas' Pummel.

Emaya's effect says "At the beginning of your turn, choose an opponent. Increase your Energize by one for each relic the chosen opponent has in play." Since this doesn't say "until end of turn," can her Energize increase to a very high number over time?

Emaya's effect is a continuous checking effect that activates at the beginning of each of her turns. When she chooses an opponent, her Energize increases by one for each relic that opponent currently has in play. This bonus persists as long as the condition remains true—meaning if the chosen opponent gains more relics during her turn (e.g., via another card's effect), her Energize increases immediately. However, the bonus only applies while she controls the relevant relics and is active on her turn. If a relic leaves play or she switches opponents, the energize value adjusts accordingly. The effect does not stack indefinitely because it’s tied to current conditions and doesn’t create lasting permanent bonuses.

How does Osatch interact with cards like Relic Stalker and Beam of Light that target or affect Relics and Creatures?

Osatch's effect should read: 'Effect - Sentry: Your Relics and other Creatures may not be discarded from play or returned to your hand by opposing cards that specifically affect Relics or Creatures in this way. Opposing cards may not gain control of your Relics and other Creatures.' With this corrected text, Relic Stalker cannot discard a Relic because it does not specifically affect Relics or Creatures; however, Beam of Light targeting two Relics (including Osatch) or a Relic and another Creature will be prevented if the card specifically targets Relics or Creatures. Thus, only effects that explicitly target Relics or Creatures are blocked by Osatch.

How do two Vraks interact when both are in play, and how does this differ from creatures like Rous?

When two Vraks are in play, each Vrak's ability triggers whenever the other becomes tapped or untapped, creating a loop where they continually trigger each other’s abilities. This differs from creatures like Rous (a Bograth creature), which have static or triggered abilities that do not create such mutual dependency; their effects are not designed to interact in this recursive manner.

If a creature has 0 energy after using a power, can it discard itself? Examples: Can a Core Grag (with 5e) use its power? It would have to discard itself, but it'd have 5 energy. Same with Deep Hyren (6e); can it choose itself to discard itself?

If the creature's power says to discard ITSELF, and the power cost brings it to zero, then yes, it can still discard itself as part of the power (Core Grag, etc). If the creature's power says to CHOOSE a creature (usually to discard it, such as Deep Hyren, or add energy to it, such as Xyx Minor), and the power cost brings it to zero, then no, the creature will be discarded when it reaches zero energy, before you reach the stage where you make choices for the power.

How does Cataclysm interact with opposing cards that normally affect spells or creatures?

Cataclysm cannot be affected by opposing cards that modify its wording, region, or cost, meaning effects like Umm...No!, Barqua's Bubble, Emec's Forge, or Sandsifter's ability do not prevent Cataclysm from resolving. These cards only protect creatures after the effect resolves, but since Cataclysm discards all creatures simultaneously, none can be saved by such protections. The key point is that opposing cards must affect Cataclysm 'as it is being played'—such as changing its cost or wording—to have an impact, which most protective effects do not do.

Can Sandsifter use its ability to discard an Oracle when it would be defeated in combat, thereby preventing loss of energy and avoiding discarding from play?

Sandsifter can use its effect when it would be defeated in combat by discarding another Oracle from play, which prevents it from being discarded due to the attack's energy loss. However, Sandsifter will still be at zero energy after the combat and will immediately be discarded from play according to game rules. This means that while the ability saves Sandsifter from immediate discard caused by the combat, it does not prevent eventual removal due to having zero energy. This rule applies similarly to other effects that remove energy from Sandsifter, especially relevant for Crushing spells.

Cards that state an effect when 'defeated in an attack' can be used offensively. Therefore, an Eebit returns to the hand after attacking (and can be played immediately again), and an Iximin does 6 energy of damage (3 plus its three additional) when attacking?

True.

When a Magi is revealed, does the 'Lock In' rule for starting cards mean effects like Harror, Night Stalker, Redream, and Yrtha's Mantle prevent any card from being played or only specific ones?

False. Effects such as Harror, Nightstalker, Redream, and Yrtha's Mantle do not interact with the keyword 'any' under Starting Cards (at least not until II prints a card named 'Any...'). Risha is immune to Nightstalker, but it was never clarified how Yrtha managed to get that darned mantle to work.

Does the card Stealth cause a creature to remove energy twice—once before normal energy removal and once during normal energy removal?

No, Stealth does not cause double energy removal. Instead, it changes the timing of energy removal so that it occurs before the usual simultaneous energy removal phase, effectively acting like "First Strike" from Magic: The Gathering.

Can a Magi or Creature have a negative energize rate and therefore lose energy each turn?

The minimum energize rate is 0. You cannot force a card to 'de-energize.'

Does "Cannot" take precedence over "Must", and does Jungertrug's "must" attack ability get negated by Tuck Berries' "Cannot" attack effect?

Yes, "Cannot" takes precedence over "Must." However, the Lascinth must still attack if able, even when affected by Tuck Berries.

Does the card "Sunburn" stack?

No. Multiple Sunburn cards all take effect normally. This is no different conceptually than Valken playing a Scroll of Fire.

I play Oasis, and my opponent has Ythra out. Oasis states that 'creatures and Magi do not lose energy', which I interpret as preventing energy loss. Ythra says 'Energy discarded by your d'Resh spells cannot be reduced.' So my question is...does Oasis reduce energy loss or prevent energy loss? Does Oasis work against Ythra?

Ythra ignores the Oasis.

If I had Velouria out and an Icefang Battlesled, could I combine their powers? Specifically, could I use Velouria's power on a creature and then use the Battlesled's power to give it the energy?

Yes, you can combine their powers. Using Velouria's power on a creature followed by the Icefang Battlesled's power to give it energy is a perfectly legitimate combo, resulting in an Adoring creature zooming up to the opposing Magi.

Does a card like Energy Band require me to have 3 energy on my Magi—one for power and two to add to the creature—or can it create new energy when used?

Powers and effects definitely have the ability to create energy. For Energy Band, you remove one energy from your Magi to activate Charge, then take two energy markers from the bank (your token bag or another out-of-game storage) and place them on the chosen creature, thus creating two energy.

My opponent has a Core Magi. They play Entomb and name Deceptive Dreams. Then they play a Corrupt and attach it to their Magi. Now they play Deceptive Dreams, return one of my creatures to my hand, and play a creature from my hand for free. What happens to the creature?

Actually, in this case your opponent's Core Magi is playing the creature via the Deceptive Dreams spell. The Corrupt will activate and take control of the creature.

What happens when you have one effect that removes additional energy (like the scroll of fire) and one that doubles energy removal (like Intensify)?

You choose the order in which they happen. If you cast Fireball, it does two damage. Scroll of Fire removes one additional energy for a total of three. If Intensify doubles this, it becomes six. Alternatively, if you apply Intensify first, doubling the original two to four, then Scroll of Fire adds one more for a total of five.

Can a second or third magi grab items that have 'starting' on them? For example, can Warrada as a second magi grab Warrada's Ring?

Yes. If a card says STARTING, it is considered a starting card and can be taken by any magi (maximum of five per magi).

Does the rule that you don't have to reveal cards when searching for 'any' apply to Sorreah, who allows you to search for any two Aderial spells?

No. If a card specifies a region or type—such as 'Aderial spells'—you must reveal the cards searched for. Similarly, if it says 'Cald creature' (as with Barak the Red), or refers to a specific category like 'creature,' you must show what you draw. The rule only applies when searching for 'any card' without restrictions.

Does the "any" rule for Arderial spells apply to "any card" if you have anything in your discard pile?

Yes it does. If you're playing Rayje/Rayje/Rayje, be VERY conscious of what your initial starting cards are.

Does Alaban's Undream power work on the Colossus?

Absolutely. Anti-Magic protects from "specific discard", but Undream "returns to hand," which is definitely NOT a discard.

If you use a spell or power to bring in a creature (like Hyren's Call), does things like Robe of Vines affect it?

Yes. Any time you bring a creature into play, you are considered to have "played" the creature, and trigger all appropriate effects, including Robe of Vines (and Corrupt, and Magam Flamesmith).

Can you still attack a Magi's creatures if they use the Hood of Hiding?

Yes. Conceal protects only the Magi, not any of the Magi's other cards in play.

If I have a Bungaloo, weave seed it, then play The Hunt (in that order), can it attack 3 times, or 2 times?

No matter the order played, the creature gets to attack twice due to The Hunt and an additional time from Weave Seed, resulting in three attacks total.

What is the official ruling on General effects versus specific effects? For example, Speag cannot attack, but Empress Gia allows all creatures to attack if Core cards are in play. Can Speag attack in this case? What about a creature that was Crystallized or stolen with Crushing Darkness? Which effect takes precedence—general (like Empress Gia) or specific effects like 'this creature cannot attack'?

We have 3 Levels of Specific-ness. General (like Rayje's Boots), Specific (Like Mantle of Shadows), and Magi-Specific (Any effect that specifically refers to the Magi like Kesia). Magi-Specific overrules everything, and Specific overrules General. In almost all cases this specificity really only applies to actions/Effects that set up some kind of durational state. Empress Gia states 'If you have Core cards in play, all of your Creatures may attack, even those that cannot normally attack.' (Per clarification, Empress Gia is not to be included when checking to see if either her Effects triggers.) She specifically overrides any ongoing inability to attack, per card text (such as Speag or Crystallize), but does not override any one-shot limited-duration specific effects (such as Crushing Darkness).

If my opponent uses Mind Dredge to play a Bungaloo from my discard pile while Furok Guardian's Terra Rebirth effect is active, what happens at the end of my turn?

The outcome depends on which Bungaloo your opponent chose. If they played the same Bungaloo that was discarded and defeated, it is already in play by the end of their turn, so Furok Guardian's effect cannot return it again. If they chose a different copy of Bungaloo from your discard pile, then the original Bungaloo will still return to play at the end of your turn as normal. In case of dispute over which creature was chosen, presume the one nearest the top of the discard pile was selected. Note that the Bungaloo can be returned to play from any out-of-play area—hand, deck, or discard—and only fails to return if it is already in play.

Do cards with the 'Weave' ability trigger only when attacking, or also when being attacked?

The 'Weave' ability triggers both when a creature attacks and when it is attacked. Although newer cards use the phrase "whenever _____ is in an attack" instead of "whenever _____ attacks or is attacked," these phrases are functionally identical and include both scenarios. The updated wording was introduced for clarity, particularly to ensure the ability works even if a card effect like Gum-Gum's 'Slide' moves the Weave creature into combat after it wasn't originally attacking. Therefore, all versions of the Weave ability trigger in both cases.

Does the card Resonate allow each of its three actions to be used multiple times, or are they limited to one use each?

Each action may be chosen only once. The card's text states 'Choose any or all of the following... Choose any ONE... Choose any ONE... Choose any ONE...' which limits each action to a single use. The maximum energy cost for Resonate is 4 (1 base + up to 3 additional for the actions), and cards that allow multiple uses or variable costs typically use an 'X' in their cost or text.

Can Beam of Light destroy a Shadow Geyser?

Yes, Beam of Light can and does destroy a Shadow Geyser because geysers are spells in play and one of the three target options listed on Beam of Light, with no inherent protection from being directly discarded.

Has Greater Gargagnor been errata'd to prevent it from being discarded by Powers or Effects, or does 'Solid' only protect it from opposing Spells?

Greater Gargagnor can still be discarded by Powers or Effects; the 'Solid' ability only protects it from opposing Spells.

Does Fray's Big Chill effect trigger when one of my creatures is being attacked?

Yes, Fray's Big Chill effect triggers whenever one of your creatures is involved in an attack, whether it is attacking or being attacked.

Can you use Syphon Vortex on a creature to leech more energy than is on the creature? For example, casting Syphon Vortex with X=4 where X=6 against a creature with 2 energy, gaining 6 energy back to your magi?

No. The amount of energy removed from the target creature cannot exceed the energy currently on that creature. If you cast Syphon Vortex with X=6 and the target has only 2 energy, then only 2 energy is removed (and the creature is discarded), and 2 energy is added to your magi. Any excess beyond what's available on the target is not applied.

Do you get X energy returned when using Syphon Vortex, or the total damage dealt?

You receive an amount of energy equal to the actual amount removed from the target creature, not necessarily X. The value of X determines the base amount moved, but this can be modified by effects like Scroll of Fire. If modifiers increase the damage, you gain that increased amount—up to what's available on the target. If they reduce it, you gain less.

If you cast Syphon Vortex on a creature while you have a Scroll of Fire in play, what happens if you use Amanax's Pyromaniac Effect for the turn?

When using Amanax's Pyromaniac Effect, any damage dealt by your spells is doubled. If you cast Syphon Vortex with Scroll of Fire already in play and then activate Pyromaniac, the total damage (including both Scroll of Fire’s boost and any other modifiers) is doubled before energy is removed from the target. The amount of energy gained by Amanax equals the actual energy removed from the creature after all modifications—so if doubling results in more than the creature has, only what's available is taken.

In a deck using Amanax as its last Magi that hoards cards, does casting Syphon Vortex for X+3 where X=11 (with Scroll of Fire active), discarding Blast Gloves to double damage (making it 24 total), result in Amanax gaining X=11 from the Syphon Vortex and 24 from Pyromaniac, totaling 35 energy?

No. The confusion arises from misapplying how Syphon Vortex and Pyromaniac interact. Syphon Vortex moves energy equal to the final damage dealt (after all modifiers), not separately applying X and then doubling. If you cast Syphon Vortex with X=11, Scroll of Fire increases it to 12, then discarding Blast Gloves doubles that to 24 damage. Amanax gains 24 energy from the actual amount removed from the target (up to what's available). He does not gain both X=11 and an additional 24—only the final moved amount (24) is added to him.

If I have no creatures out in play and spend all of my energy to cast Syphon Vortex, does my Magi die before I get the energy?

All effects of the current action are completely resolved before checking for Magi death. Creatures, however, can be discarded by paying a cost, even if the effect would have granted them energy.

Do you pay a region penalty for dual region creatures if your Magi is of at least one of the regions?

No.

Can you use Grass Etiki's Dreamwarper effect to Dreamwarp the Grass Etiki as it is coming into play?

No, Dreamwarper is not in effect until the Etiki fully enters play.

Does having 2 or 3 Grass Etiki out in play create cumulative or redundant effects? For that matter, if a card is given the exact same "Effect - Name:" that it already has, is it cumulative or redundant?

Cumulative, both Effects are usable.

Can Sand Hyren make starting cards cost 0? If a card is already 1 or 0, what happens?

It says "Each of your named starting cards costs two less energy, to a minimum of one." Activating all triggered Effects is mandatory, so reduce the cost by 2, and then if the modified cost is at less than 1, raise the cost to 1. Yes, this gives your Starting Cards that would normally cost 0 an energy cost of 1.

Can you play spells, powers, relics and creatures in any order after you attack?

No. After you Attack (step 3), you may play Creatures (step 4) in any order. After you play Creatures, you may then Use Powers, Play Relics and Cast Spells (step 5) in any order. Finally, you draw two cards (step 6) and your turn ends.

If I use a Tree Hinko to get 2 extra energy the next time my Magi Energizes, and then my Magi is defeated before I energize, do I get the energy on my new Magi? Does this effect only affect the current Magi, or the next time any of my Magi energize? It says that flipped Magi are unaffected by spells, powers, and effects.

Yes, you get the extra energy "the next time your Magi energizes," regardless of which Magi is currently face up.

If I have Illusions in play when my Magi is defeated, do the Illusions stay in play for the next Magi? I can't find anything that says creatures are discarded from play when a Magi is defeated.

"All of the cards that the defeated Magi had in play are discarded." (p.24)

On the same note, if my opponent has gained control of a creature, does that creature get discarded from play when my Magi is defeated?

No, if you do not control a Creature (even if you Own it), it is not discarded by your defeat.

In a multi-player game, if a player is defeated, but another player has control of some of that player's cards, such as Heart of Paradise, does the defeated player take back all of his or her cards?

You should work this out ahead of time. Technically the card stays in play (see question above), but you may need to proxy it somehow if the defeated player is not staying until the end of the game. Multiplayer tournaments should address this in their floor rules.

There is a Bograth creature that I can't remember the name of, that when it dies, it attaches itself to a relic, and the controller's Magi loses one energy on someone's turn. Does this go away when the Bograth creature's Magi is defeated?

The Creature is called Umbu. "When Umbu is discarded from play, choose a relic in play. Attach Umbu to the chosen relic..." You still retain control of Umbu (and he is still a Creature, despite being "unaffected by cards that affect Creatures"). Per standard rules on Magi defeat, "All of the cards that the defeated Magi had in play are discarded."

If a player has all of his cards that were in his deck, either in his hand or in play, nothing in his discard pile, and it's his turn to draw cards—what happens?

You attempt to draw, and get no cards. Note: I've actually had this happen with a Bograth drawing deck.

What does 're-nig' mean in the context of card games?

Renege: 1. To fail to carry out a promise or commitment: reneged on the contract at the last minute. 2. Games. To fail to follow suit in cards when able and required by the rules to do so. "He reneged on our deal."

If a player forgets to follow a rule and remembers too late, how should this be resolved?

There is no standard rule for this situation. Generally, the intent is to either rewind the game to the point where the mistake did not impact play, or if rewinding isn't feasible, resolve the situation in the easiest way that does not benefit the player who made the mistake. This is handled on a case-by-case basis. Some tournament rules address cheating and disqualification but do not cover honest mistakes. The Legend of the Five Rings floor rules state that if both players fail to notice a mistake in time, it is treated as correct play, encouraging players to pay close attention.

My friend attacks my (5 Energy) Burrowed Creature with his (6 Energy) Creature that has 'Effect - When attacking, This Creature removes 2 additional energy.' Does the Burrowed Creature lose 2 or 4 Energy? Since that Effect only triggers during attacks, does that count as energy removal by an Attack or what?

The creature loses 4 Energy. 'Burrow: XXX loses no more than two energy from each opposing Spell, Power, or Attack.' Note that burrow very specifically does NOT protect from Effects. 'From an attack' refers to the attack mechanic of comparing Energy totals during attack resolution.

And is this any different from Attack related effects like Stalk? If my (5 Energy) Burrowed Creature is stalked, and then attacked by a (6 Energy) Creature, do I lose 2 or 3 energy total?

3 energy. Again, the Effect causes energy loss IN the attack, but not FROM the attack.

If a card has two or more Powers listed on it, such as Diobor, am I able to use both powers, or am I only able to use one power per turn?

Each power may be used once per turn.

Can spells that remove energy, such as Dessicate, be reduced in effect?

Yes, the energy can be reduced as the energy removal is "locked in" once the spell is cast. For instance, removing all energy from a 11e Rock Hyren would remove 11e; but the Rock Hyren would reduce it to 9e. On the same lines, a response Paradwyn spell (Bloom) could add energy to the creature to prevent its death.

Do spells like Dessicate count as spells that discard creatures? Can Sagawal be used in response to such spells if the target creature is about to die from zero energy?

The Sagawal may be discarded when one of your Creatures is reduced to zero energy by a Spell, "instead" of the Creature; however, the Creature will still be a zero energy Creature, and be discarded anyway. BUT, the source of this discard will then be the game rules, and not the card effect that reduced the Creature to zero energy. So, while it would generally be a waste to discard Sagawal when another Creature is reduced to zero energy and discarded, it will "erase" the effects of the Crushing Spell (or any card with a similar 'if this effect discards the chosen Creature from play') and keep your opponent from getting the secondary benefit.

Can Bloom be used to change the target of effects that look for the largest or smallest creature, such as Jagged Rocks or Abwyn's Quill, by increasing a creature's power after the target is determined?

No, Bloom has been erratted. The correct text is: "You can only play Bloom during an opponent's turn immediately after that opponent plays a Spell or Relic or uses a Power, and all actions related to that card have resolved. After playing this Spell, immediately use a Power on one of your Paradwyn cards in play. Only Paradwyn and Paradwyn Shadow Magi can play Bloom."

Does moving energy (e.g., Weave) count as adding energy to a creature and discarding energy from another? Therefore, would a creature that was condemned by Dryte Fiend's effect lose 4 energy when it wove off itself, and a creature that gained energy due to weaving could then trigger other 'when this creature adds energy' effects?

Yes.

When exactly do you reveal your Magi when the last one was defeated? When you are defeated on your own turn; do you still draw two cards to end the turn?

You reveal your Magi at the beginning of your next turn. You still draw two cards even if you have no magi in play, unless your final Magi has been defeated.

If you have Nightmare Channel on one of your creatures targeting the opposing Magi, does the Nightmare Channel become discarded when the opposing Magi is defeated?

No, it remains in play unless it is specifically discarded, or the Magi who controls the Spell leaves play. It simply has no effect.

Can you play Brushfire from your hand and then again from your discard pile right away? (In other words, spend 4, do 4, if you're a Weave Magi)

Yes.

What are the NON-LEGAL LIMITED CARDS?

The following list of cards is provided as a reference to cite current, non-legal promotional cards, and their expected legal date: Power of the Creators: No date currently planned. Tony at a Con: No date currently planned. Dan (including alternate artwork): No date currently planned. Ludi: No date currently planned.

When a core magi plays a 'corrupt' spell and another magi plays an anti-core creature, what happens to the corrupt spell and the creature?

The corrupt spell is nullified. Anti-core creatures prevent corruption effects from resolving, so the corrupt spell does not affect any creature and is removed from play without taking effect.

Can Severos use its power against an anti-Core creature in the discard pile? Does the creature's effect still protect it if it is discarded? What if Ashio is in play?

Core Spells and Powers will not affect an anti-Core Creature. They are therefore immune to Severos's Mind Dredge. They are not immune to Core Effects though, so Ashio's Weave Twist will allow Mind Dredge to affect an anti-Core Creature.

When a creature with an anti-Core ability is turned into a core creature by Ashio's Weave Twist, does its effect still reference its original region, or does it now affect only core creatures?

If an anti-Core creature becomes Core while under the effect of Ashio's Weave Twist, then all of its text works as written. Weave Twist will tell the card that all of its text that references Core now references Core.

Does Gargagnor's effect apply to Ulk's effect as well, given that both effects trigger at the beginning of the turn, allowing Korrits to gain energy at the beginning of an opponent's turn?

Yes, "The start of your turn" is functionally identical to "the beginning of your turn."

If a creature with Invulnerability (reduces energy loss from attacks by 2) is also burrowed (caps energy loss from attacks at 2), does it lose no energy when attacked while burrowed?

No. Whenever you apply both a reduction to the base amount and a cap, the reduction is applied before the cap. For example, a burrowed Akkar would have its energy loss reduced by 2 due to Invulnerability, then any remaining loss is capped at 2 due to Burrow. Note that Athik does not have Invulnerability.

Does Valkan's Pyromancy effect still apply if a creature is burrowed and cannot be hurt by spells?

Valkan's Pyromancy creates additional energy loss from an acting source of energy removal, similar to a Scroll of Fire's Effect. Because the source of the energy loss is increased, any effect that caps that source (such as Burrow) will also reduce the Pyromancy addition.

If Sorreah's Crushing Heat and Sandswirl cancel out opposing magi's effects, and Nagsis is defeated while under the effect of either card, does the following Magi become a Shadow Magi? Does the same apply to the Dark Twins?

If Nagsis is defeated while under the effects mentioned, Possession will not be able to trigger, and the following Magi will not become a Shadow Magi. The Dark Twins will not be affected in the same way however, as none of The Dark Twins' text is Effect Text.

Can Gate to Ombor be used in combination with Gloves of Crystal to bring in a 4-energy creature (such as Agovo on Gruk) for free by reducing its cost and then using the gloves' effect to add an extra energy?

No, Gate to Ombor reduces the Cost of your Creature. The Strengthen Effect on Gloves of Crystal does not affect the Cost of your Creature in any way. It simply states 'you may take one extra energy from your Magi and add it to that Creature.'

Does Warlum's ability to play cards 'you can normally play' limit you to cards from the Magi's region, and can a Shadow Magi with Agram's Staff in play play cards from their original region?

Warlum's 'normally play' errata simply means that if you couldn't play the relic out of your hand, you cannot fetch it with Materialize.

When Nightmare Hyren uses its power on an opposing creature while Ashio is in play, does the effect refer to the region that the creature is originally from?

Yes.

If I imbue an attachment spell like Sunburn or Sandswirl onto one of my creatures, can I still use the spell as a power on my creature without attaching it to the opposing creature?

Not exactly. If you Imbue an attachment spell on one of your creatures, then use that spell as a power, you end up attaching the creature (with the spell) just as you would have attached the spell.

For Korremar's power, when it says an opponent may only draw one card, does it mean for the turn or during the draw step?

As it says 'During the chosen player's next TURN, he or she may only draw one card.' This affects drawing from all sources, whether Effect, Power, or Draw Step.

Can you use 2 Grubbles to summon an anti-core creature out of your deck?

No, see answer d.

If a Korrit pack hunt with a Pack Korrit, does the Pack Korrit get an energy as well?

No, Korrit Charge gives the benefit only to a Korrit that is using the Effect: Pack Hunt.

When a Striped Korrit performs Pack Defense, does it get an energy too?

No, see above.

Can multiple Korrits pack hunt or defend with the same creature? For example, can 3 Korrits pack hunt with 1 Furok?

Yes, you can combine Pack Hunting creatures.

If I increase the number of times that a Furok could attack, would the pack-hunting Korrits get it as well?

No, not unless the effect you used for the increase also specifically affected the Korrits.

Can you explain how Rock Yajo works? I'm confused about whether its text applies to the new creature.

Power - Dream Cross: First, pay the cost (discard Rock Yajo from play). Then, choose two of your creatures in play (one must be Weave and one must be Kybar's Teeth). Starting immediately, and until the end of your next turn, the chosen Weave creature can use any Powers and Effects that are on the chosen KT creature as well as any text on its own card. For the same duration, the chosen KT creature can use any Powers and Effects that are on the chosen Weave creature as well as on its own card. Simply: In most cases you can put the two cards next to each other, and read the Power/Effect boxes as though each creature had been printed with both boxes on their card.

Does K'teeb's power allow it to copy multiple creatures' powers at once?

It can only choose one creature per use of the power, but if K'teeb stays in play long enough it could eventually Dream Cross and copy every legal target in play.

For Woot's Effect Savagery, when you say energy removed in attacks cannot be prevented, can it still be reduced with something like Invulnerability?

No.

For Targ'n and Invulnerability: for creatures with invulnerability effects called something different (example: Sandstone Hyren and Super Invulnerability), does the creature still gain the benefits of Targ'n's effect?

No, Enhanced Invulnerability looks specifically for the Effect Name.

With Ahron + Chasm Jile: when Chasm Jile is attacked and you defeat it in order to play a new creature, even though it was Chasm Jile's effect, seeing as an opposing creature triggers the effect, can Ahron reduce the attacking creature to 1 energy?

Using the Dreamform Effect to discard the Chasm Jile does not count as defeating it. Defeat is specifically 'discarded from play as a result of having zero energy tokens,' or no energy and no Creatures in the case of a Defeated Magi.

For other Spirit spells versus Spirit of Rayje: all spirit spells say you can only play one spirit spell per magi defeated, but Spirit of Rayje says you may play 3 per game. If you had already played 2 Spirit of Ombors and you have 3 Spirits of Rayje still in your deck, can you still play them?

Yes, absolutely.

When Mowat attacks a creature that starts the attack with 3 energy and gains more energy through an effect or has an effect that can remove additional energy when attacked (example: Beeb), does Mowat lose energy?

Mowat's Skewer Effect activates when the attack is declared. Even if the defending creature gains energy after the attack is declared, Mowat will lose no energy in the attack if the defending creature started with 3 energy or less.

Does Three-Leaf Clover prevent my Magi from being defeated when using Trug's Cataclysm power?

The Magi is clearly a card in play, and would normally be discarded and defeated by Trug's power. This makes activating Three-Leaf Clover a legal move, and it protects all of your cards including your Magi. Trug really dislikes three-leaf clovers...

Can Grej play Gate to Ombor without it being discarded? Same with Prek and Kybar's Fang?

They can play the relics, but they will be immediately discarded.

Does Ominous Presence work with The Prankster's effect?

Ominous Presence allows you to play Core creatures as if they were Kybar's creatures, but they are still Core. The Prankster's Surprise! effect will not bring them into play.

Can Myka be affected by Carnivorous Cave while she is burrowed?

Carnivorous Cave does not affect burrowed creatures. Burrowed Magi have no such exemption—Myka is affected normally.

When Sorrowing Ogar uses Turn to change control of a creature, does the creature become an Underneath creature due to her Vile Memories effect?

No, Turn does not play a creature; it merely changes control of a creature already in play and turns it Core. Sorrowing Ogar's Vile Memories only affects cards she plays.

When using Strag's Ring, are core cards played from the discard pile as Underneath spells still considered Underneath spells when checking for 'purity' on Strag's Ring? What about when moving to your next Magi?

No, Vile Memories keeps the cards Underneath only while they are in play.

When an effect adds Energize to a creature that already has an Energize (e.g., Yerthe adding 1 Energize to a Baby Hyren with 2 Energize), do the Energizes stack?

No, you use only the highest Energize rate; Energize never stacks unless an effect says 'Increase energize by X.'

Can Grej's effect of adding "invulnerability" to underneath creatures be used on Tunnel Parmalag, and does that make Tunnel Parmalag prevent itself from losing energy in attacks?

That works just fine.

If Grej adds the effect "invulnerability" to a creature that already has invulnerability, such as Akkar, do the effects stack?

Both Invulnerabilities will take effect normally. If Akkar is chosen by Grej, Akkar will lose three less energy in attacks.

Harror, Nightstalker says she has no starting cards, yet she starts with Cataclysm—does this mean she can't use it or just can't search for it?

It means that Harror, Nightstalker has no listed starting cards on the Magi, nothing more, nothing less. Cataclysm adds itself to Harror's starting card list, so she may search for it... but also cannot play it while Starfire is still in effect.

When Harror confronts a Magi like Sorreah who has open-ended starting cards (e.g., 2 Arderial spells), what is the template for that?

Effects such as Harror Nightstalker, Redream and Ytrha's Mantle do not interact with the keyword 'any' under Starting Cards (at least not until II prints a card named 'Any...'). Risha is immune to Nightstalker, but never did figure out how Ytrha got that darned mantle to work.

If I have more than one Twunk in play and a creature I control has more energy than one of my Twunks but less than another, what happens when that creature is attacked?

Both Timber Effects compare the energy of the attacking creature with the energy of the defending creature. Only one Effect's condition is satisfied, and the attacking creature loses two energy.

For relics that Shadow Magi can play from other regions, is there a regional penalty?

Per page 28 of the VotS Rulebook, Regional Penalty applies only to Creatures and Spells.

If you use a power on a card that discards the card, and then use Recall on it to bring it back, can you play it again and use its power right away, or do you have to wait until your next turn since the rule book says you can only use a power on a card once per turn? This is the same power on the same card, but it has been discarded and replayed.

There is no Card Memory in MND. It is perfectly legal to use the power, discard, Recall, replay, and use the power again.

Can I use powers on cards like "Warrior's Boots" and Magi "Whall's" power "Dream Twist" to summon Colossus, since I'm using a power to put energy on him, even though I'm basically just summoning him?

If you use Warpath from Warrior's Boots to bring Colossus into play, he gains his summoning energy 'as normal.' Warpath does not add or remove energy as a result of the Power, it simply changes the timing and allows you to 'immediately play a creature from your hand' using the normal Play Creatures rules. However, if you use Whall's Dream Twist (and indeed most other methods of bringing a Creature into play during the P/S/R step), he is not played 'as normal.' Instead, you are instructed to play him and then 'Put Energy onto the Creature' as part of the result of the Power. It is a minor but important distinction that prevents Dream Twist from giving energy to Colossus—if you target a Colossus with Dream Twist, he will enter play but receive no energy, and therefore be discarded.

Card Clarifications