ARABIAN NIGHTS FAQ -- January 5, 1994

Yes, I finally got together with Snark and another rules-guru, with
Richard there for part of it, and went over all these accumulated
questions.  Those of you giving all those nice arguments for why the
Rukh should come on the side of the controller of the egg will be
pleased to note that we managed to talk Snark into accepting that,
albeit reluctantly.  :-)

Here they are... (drumroll please)

Official Answers to Arabian Nights questions (FAQ and InfrequentlyAQ)

Q: Are the token-creatures from the Hive, Bottle of Suleiman, and
   Rukh Egg treated as "cards" for the purposes of spells that refer
   to "cards"?
A: No, tokens are not cards.  Among others, this means that
   * City in a Bottle does not destroy the Arabian tokens.
   * Blue Elemental Blast and Desert Twister cannot destroy a Rukh.
   * These creatures do not count as life points for a Lich.
   * They cannot be -laced.

Q: What is the Casting Cost of token-creatures?
A: Zero.

Q: Can Aladdin hold onto more then one artifact at a time?
A: Yes, he can pick up another one each time you pay and tap him.  He 
   doesn't have to drop the one he's holding to steal another one.

Q: Aladdin's Lamp has <5><5> as the casting cost. Is this a typo?
A: No, it costs 10 colorless mana to cast.

Q: Can Ali Baba tap more then one wall at a time?  Can he tap walls
   even while he is tapped?
A: Yes, and yes.

Q: Does Ali from Cairo really make you immune to dying, even while 
   he's tapped?
A: Just about.  You can still be killed by effects that directly 
   reduce your life without doing damage.  His power works whether 
   he's tapped or not, as do all such continuous creature powers.
   However, there are lots of ways to kill 1/1 creatures.

Q: Bazaar of Baghdad says you can't cast spells between drawing and 
   discarding cards.  It says nothing about Lands.  Can you play a
   Land before discarding?
A: No.  Playing a land isn't a Fast Effect.

Q: If I Twiddle my opponents City of Brass, does he take damage?
A: Yes, since the card specifically says whenever it becomes tapped.

Q: Are cards "discarded from play" by City in a Bottle sent to the
   graveyard, or removed from play entirely?
A: The card was badly worded.  It means that Arabian cards that are
   currently in play are discarded (to the Graveyard).  If the City
   is later destroyed, they can be resurrected.

Q: Do Creature Bonded Arabian cards do damage when City in a Bottle
   is played?
A: Yes, creature-bonded creatures discarded to the Graveyard do
   damage.

Q: Do both of the City in a Bottle effects follow the normal rules for
   continuous artifacts, or does the "While City in a Bottle is in 
   play" phrase mean even while it is tapped?
A: They are both normal continuous effects, taking effect at every 
   instant that the City is not tapped, but inactive while it is 
   tapped.  The confusing phrase was meant to reiterate the rules for 
   continuous artifacts, not override them.
   * If City in a Bottle is in play but tapped, Arabian spells can be
     cast.
   * Once it is untapped, any Arabian cards in play are once again 
     discarded to the Graveyard.
   * The Obliette can't save an Arabian creature from the City.  The
     City forces discard of the Obliette, putting the creature back 
     into play, and then the next instant forces discard of the 
     creature.

Q: If City in a Bottle is played while there are Rukh Eggs in play, 
   do you still get a Rukh?
A: Yes.  Playing the City sends the Rukh Egg to the graveyard, which
   gives you a Rukh at the end of the turn.  The City only destroys 
   cards, not tokens, so it can't affect the Rukh.

Q: Exactly how and when can the Desert be used?
A: The Desert can only be tapped for damage during the attack phase,
   any time before the damage-dealing subphase.  You must specify the
   target creature when tapping the Desert.  The damage is done in
   the damage-dealing subphase, at the same time as all the other
   damage from the attack, and can be prevented in the damage-
   prevention subphase immediately following.  If the target creature
   is removed from the attack (killed or unsummoned) before the damage-
   dealing subphase, then the Desert has no effect.
   The Desert CANNOT do damage during the damage-prevention subphase.

Q: If the Erg Raiders are tapped, do they still do damage to their 
   controller?
A: Yes.

Q: If my opponent uses Word of Command to make me cast a damage spell 
   on myself, can I play Eye for an Eye to damage him too?
A: No, you're still the controller of the spell he Commanded you to
   cast. Eye for an Eye would make you take double damage.

Q: If a creature using Flying Carpet is destroyed but regenerates, is
   the artifact destroyed?
A: No.

Q: If the players are tied for highest life, which one takes control 
   of the Ghazban Ogre?
A: The one who already has control keeps control.  In a multi-player 
   game, if the player who has control isn't one of the ones tied, flip
   a coin or otherwise randomly choose at the beginning of the
   current controller's upkeep to decide who controls him.

Q: If I do a point of damage to my opponent's Giant Tortoise, and then
   tap it with a Twiddle or Icy Manipulator, does it die?
A: Yes.  (Unless, of course, another spell or effect saves it.)

Q: Does the Guardian Beast protect artifacts from destroying 
   themselves?  (Nevinyrral's Disk, Chaos Orb, etc.)
A: Yes.

Q: Does the Guardian Beast protect artifacts from being discarded?  
   (Black Lotus, Bottle of Suleiman, etc.)
A: No.

Q: Does that mean that the Guardian Beast doesn't protect an artifact 
   from Disenchant?
A: Yes, unfortunately.  (When the 2nd Edition cards come out, 
   Disenchant will be changed to destroy rather than discard.)

Q: Can I pay the Ifh-Biff Efreet more then once per turn?
A: Yes.  As many times as you have green mana to spend.  (Note that 
   he is a Flying creature and can kill himself.)

Q: Does the Island of Wak-Wak count as an Island?
A: No.

Q: How long do the effects of the Island of Wak-Wak last?  Does it
   affect just the creatures base power or enchantments as well?
A: The effects last until the end of the turn.  Treat this as
   "subtract creature's power at the time the Island is tapped from
   its power for the remainder of the turn."  So, enchantments and
   fast effects used prior to tapping the Island are reduced to
   zero, but additions later can raise it above zero.  (Power will
   not go below zero, even if you disenchant a Holy Strength or such
   that was on the creature prior to tapping the Island, but the
   subtraction still counts if you try to raise it back up.)  The
   effect continues until end of turn even if the Island is destroyed.

Q: If something calls for drawing more then one card and I have
   Jandor's Ring, can I draw all the cards together and then choose
   whether to use the Ring, or must I decide as each card is drawn?
   (Howling Mine, Ancestral Recall, Braingeyser, etc.)
A: Draw cards one at a time and choose after each card.  The Ring can
   only affect the card just drawn.

Q: Can I choose "grey" (or "colorless") as the color to Jihad against?
A: No.  Also note that Lands are colorless.

Q: Can I tap the Library of Alexandria before drawing a card, and then
   also draw my normal card for the turn?
A: Yes.

Q: Mana from Metamorphosis can only be used to summon creatures.  Can I
   summon more then one creature with it?  Can I add additional mana
   to it if necessary?  If I can't spend it all on summoning creatures,
   do I take damage from the unspent mana?
A: Yes, yes, and yes.

Q: Are creatures trapped in an Oubliette affected by Wrath of God, 
   Nevinyrral's Disk, or Balance?
A: No, even if the Oubliette is destroyed by such a mass-destruction 
   effect.

Q: Can the Ring of Maruf retrieve a creature from the Obliette?
A: Yes, since the creature is out of play.

Q: If I discard a Rukh Egg from my hand to the graveyard, do I get a 
   Rukh?
A: The Rukh Egg was intended to have to be in play before discard to
   produce a Rukh.  Unfortunately, that's not what ended up on the
   card.  WotC strongly recommends playing with the intended meaning,
   since otherwise a deck of 40 Rukh Eggs and nothing else is a 
   game-winner.  You should clarify this with your opponent before
   playing.

Q: If my opponent has a Rukh Egg and I cast Control Magic on it, whose
   side does the Rukh come out on when the Egg is killed?  Ditto for
   Animate Dead.
A: The Rukh will come out on the side of whoever controlled the Egg at
   the time it was killed, since it is the process of being killed
   rather then the actual presence in the graveyard that produces the
   Rukh.

Q: Can I choose a land to destroy to satisy the Serendib Djinn, and
   then use the Pyramids to prevent the destruction?  Can I choose a
   land that has Consecrate Land cast on it?  If no, what happens when
   all the land I have left is Consecrated?
A: Yes, the act of trying to destroy the land is all that's necessary
   to feed the Djinn; if that destruction is prevented, it's too late
   for him to change his mind.  (However, Consecrate Land is likely
   to be changed in later printings to say that the land cannot be the
   target of land-destroying effects; if this change is made, then you
   will not be able to choose a Consecrated land for the Djinn.  If
   all your lands are Consecrated, you will still get off free.)

Q: If a creature using Sandals of Abdallah is destroyed but regenerates,
   is the artifact destroyed?
A: No.

Q: If I'm attacking with a creature with Toughness 1, and my opponent 
   plays Sandstorm, does the creature still do damage before dying?
A: Not if Sandstorm is played before the Damage Dealing subphase.

Q: If, during the Shahrazad subgame, I use a spell that specifies a 
   card be removed from play entirely, does it still get shuffled 
   back in when the subgame is over?
A: Yes.

Q: How long do the effects of the Singing Tree last?  Does it
   affect just the creatures base power or enchantments as well?
A: The effects last until the end of the attack phase.  Treat this as
   "subtract creature's power at the time the Island is tapped from
   its power for the remainder of the phase."  So, enchantments and
   fast effects used prior to tapping the Island are reduced to
   zero, but additions later can raise it above zero.  (Power will
   not go below zero, even if you disenchant a Holy Strength or such
   that was on the creature prior to tapping the Tree, but the
   subtraction still counts if you try to raise it back up.)  The
   effect continues until end of phase even if the Tree is destroyed.

Q: If the coinflip prevents the Ydwen Efreet from blocking, can I 
   block with a different creature instead?
A: No, the coin is flipped after all your blockers are declared, but 
   before Fast Effects subphase.  However, you could cast False Orders
   to get a different creature to block.

  - Beth Moursund (bethmo@wizards.com)
    GG-L NetRep of WotC