Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Judge's Corner

12.05.02  Various Questions from Fans answered

Short Answers:

-You can’t cast Meddle on a card that is targeting multiple creatures.

-In Constructed tournaments, you can play with any printing of a card if there is a card with that name that is legal in the format (Universal Tournament Rules, section 51). For instance, you can play with a Starter Volcanic Hammer in Standard (Type 2), since Volcanic Hammer is in Seventh Edition, and Seventh Edition is a legal set in Standard. You could also play with an Underground River from Deckmasters in the same tournament.

-If you have no cards in your graveyard, and you attack with a Rotting Giant, it will be sacrificed long before it would deal its damage.

-You can’t change the target of a spell or ability once it has been played, unless a spell or ability allows you to do so. If the target becomes illegal, the spell is countered. You don’t change the target.

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Long Answers:

Q: If I have a Demonic Hordes in play and it is already tapped while my opponent plays a Shackles on it preventing it from being untapped during my untap phase, do I have to pay it's upkeep cost of BBB since the card states if I do not, then it becomes tapped and one of my lands are destroyed?

-Phamus

A: Yes. You can tap a tapped card just fine.

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Q: If I cast a Quicksilver Dagger on one of my opponent’s creatures, what happens? Can he tap to use the Dagger, and if so who picks the target player to damage and who draws the card?

A: Quicksilver Dagger
{1}{U}{R}
Enchant Creature
Enchanted creature has "{T}: This creature deals 1 damage to target player. You draw a card."

Since Quicksilver Dagger grants the creature an ability, only the owner of the creature can use that ability. The person who played the ability (which is the owner of the creature it is on at the time the ability is played) will draw the card.

To help here, when the game says “Enchanted creature has …,” imagine the game takes a sharpie and writes the ability in quotes on the card.

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Q: What about Soul Link on an opponent’s creature?

-Michael W.

A: Soul Link
{1}{W}{B}
Enchant Creature
Whenever enchanted creature deals damage, you gain that much life.
Whenever enchanted creature is dealt damage, you gain that much life.

Since Soul Link isn’t granting the creature an ability, the owner of Soul Link will gain the life whenever the creature deals or is dealt damage.

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Q: Say I have 4 random elves out and I drop Voice of the Woods this turn. Can I tap all 5 of the elves before my next upkeep to get my 7/7 trampler? Or does the Voice's ability have summoning sickness?

-Ben W.

A: “None of these abilities include the tap symbol, so you can use the ability even if the creature hasn't been under your control since your turn began.” (Onslaught FAQ)

So you can immediately make a 7/7.

See you Monday.

Bill Guerin
PojoMagicJudge@hotmail.com
DCI Level 2 Judge