Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Judge Bill's Corner

Title: More Storm
Questions: 15

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Q: If I were to play Hindering Touch as a reaction to anything my opponent plays, will the copies I created from that card's storm ability, affect the amount of copies I can create from playing Brain Freeze after everything has resolved?

A: No. Copies of a spell that are put on the stack by the storm ability aren't played, so they don't count toward future storm spells.

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Q: for instance:

Player 1 plays a Wrath of God.
Player 2 plays Hindering Touch aiming the copy at the Wrath of God as well.
Player 1 can't pay the extra mana for Hindering Touch, so Wrath is countered.
Player 2 plays Brain Freeze.

Will the copy made from Hindering Touch's storm ability affect Brain Freeze's storm ability?

-Cameron

A: No. Brain Freeze's storm ability will create two copies of Brain Freeze - one for the Wrath, and one for the Hindering Touch that was played. So assuming all copies of Brain Freeze are aimed at your opponent, he will have to mill 9 cards.

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Q: If a player has the card Goblin Charbelcher in play, does he announce the target creature or player before or after he reveals cards to determine the amount of damage?

-John

A: Targets are ALWAYS announced at the time you play a spell or ability. This is before the cards are revealed, which happens when the ability resolves.

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Q: If I attack with a Stalking Stones and my opponent uses Astral Slide to remove it from the game, does it come back at the end of turn?
A: Yes. The card only has to be a creature when it leaves play. It does not have to be a creature card. At the end of the turn, that card, whatever it is, will be brought back.

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Q: If it does, is it still animated?

-Matthews

A: No. It comes back into play in its base form (like it had just been played, but it hasn't just been played, of course). The base form for Stalking Stones is unanimated.

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Q: I play a Flame Burst. In my graveyard are two other Flame Burst and two Pardic Firecats. This means that the damage Flame Burst will deal is 6. My opponent responds to me playing Flame Burst by using Thran Foundry and shuffles my graveyard back into my library. Does Flame Burst still do 6 or 2?

A: It does 2. The only time the number of Flame Bursts in the graveyard is checked is when Flame Burst resolves. At that time, there are no Flame Bursts in the graveyard, so Flame Burst only deals 2 damage.

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Q: My opponent plays a Jinxed Idol, and sacrifices it to give me control of Jinxed Idol. At the end of the turn, I sacrifice a creature in order to give back the Jinxed Idol. My opponent claims that I cannot use the ability, as the card states, "...your opponent gains control of this card permanently" (or along the lines of). I do not agree with my opponent, as I control the permanent and can use its effect. Is my opponent correct, or am I?

A: First, let me give you the Oracle text of Jinxed Idol:

Jinxed Idol
{2}
Artifact
At the beginning of your upkeep, Jinxed Idol deals 2 damage to you.
Sacrifice a creature: Target opponent gains control of Jinxed Idol. (This effect doesn't end at end of turn.)

There is no limitation on playing the ability. So as long as you have Jinxed Idol, you can sacrifice a creature to give it to your opponent.

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Q: I have a Chance Encounter out, as well as a Planar Chaos. My opponent plays a spell, and loses the flip, countering the spell he just played. Does Chance Encounter receive a Luck Counter on it, or not?

-Sonuis

A: It does. An opponent losing a flip counts as you winning that flip.

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Q: If a creature attacks, tapping it after it is declared an attacker will do nothing - it will still be attacking, correct?

-Thomas

A: Correct. This is a part of the Corollary to Mantra 8, introduced Monday.

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Q: Is provoke an ability?

-Sam

A: Yes.

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Q: Are lands permanents?

A: When they are in play, yes.

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Q: With Sun Droplet, can I remove all counters during the upkeep or just one at a time?

-Yong J.

A: Sun Droplet
{2}
Artifact
Whenever you're dealt damage, put that many charge counters on Sun Droplet.
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, you may remove a charge counter from Sun Droplet. If you do, you gain 1 life.

"...you may remove A charge counter." A means one. So you can only remove one counter each upkeep.

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Q: Does Planar Void's effect stop Energy Field from being destroyed?

-Ryan S.

A: No. The card has to go into the graveyard for Planar Void to remove it from the game. Planar Void's remove from game ability is a normal triggered ability that triggers on a card going into the graveyard. So you will lose the Energy Field.

Planar Void
{B}
Enchantment
Whenever a card is put into a graveyard, remove that card from the game.

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Q: What does the number beside the mana symbols mean?

-Sebastian T.

I'm assuming the number like 2 on Override's upper right hand corner? That number is the amount of colorless (any) mana you have to pay in addition to the colored mana to play the spell.

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Clarification:

C: I was reading a question from your 11/17/03 Q&A article when I stumbled upon this question:

>>>Q: In response to an opponent morphing a Frontline Strategist after blockers are declared in the attack phase, can I use Imagecrafter's ability to turn my creature into a soldier to make the damage go through?

-Ryan J.

A: Yes.<<<
To my knowledge, you cannot respond to a morph, as morphing "just happens." Or am I mistaken?

-Sonuis

A: You are correct that morphing "just happens." The wording that Ryan used was imprecise, and I failed to correct it. What he wants to do still applies, though ... after his opponent has flipped Frontline Strategist, but before damage is dealt, turn the creature into a Soldier so it deals its damage.

See you Tuesday.

-Bill Guerin
DCI Level 2 Judge